Us 



THE MISSIONARY'S REWARD. 



LONDON : 

PRINTED BY VT. BLANCHARD AND SON 

Warwick Lane, St. Paul's. 



THE 



MISSIONARY'S REWARD; 



OR, THE 



SUCCESS OP THE GOSPEL 



PACIFIC. 



BY 

GEORGE V PRITCHARD, Esq. 

JER BRITANNIC MAJESTY8 CONSUL IN THE ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC. 



WITH AX INTRODUCTION. 



THE KEY. JOHN ANGELL JAMES. 



SECOND THOUSAND. 



LONDON : 
JOHN SNOW, 35, PATERNOSTER ROW; 



1844. 



TO THE MOST NOBLE 

WILLIAM SPENCER, 

DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE, 

KNIGHT OF THE GARTER, 
LORD LIEUTENANT AND CUSTOS ROTULORUM 
OF THE COUNTY OF DERBY, 
&c. &c. &c. 

€i)fe WLoxk' 

IS, WITH HIS GRACE'S PERMISSION, 

MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY 
HIS OBLIGED, FAITHFUL AND HUMBLE SERVANT, 

GEOEGE PRITCHARD. 



PREFACE. 



When I was in England two years since many- 
friends expressed a strong desire that I would 
publish the statements which, on various occa- 
sions, I had made, as illustrative of the power of 
the gospel on the minds and conduct of the 
savage and idolatrous inhabitants of the Great 
Pacific. At that time, my engagements were too 
numerous to allow me to comply with their 
wishes. It was then suggested that I might 
prepare a small work for publication during my 
passage to Tahiti, and agreeably to this sugges- 
tion the following pages were written. This will 
account for the want of reference to the present 
state of affairs at Tahiti. This omission is, however, 
well supplied by the Introduction of my valued 
friend and former pastor, the Rev. John Angell 



Viii PREFACE, 

James, who has, in terms equally faithful and 
affecting, described the mournful condition of that 
once peaceful Island. Nothing but the hope 
that the facts narrated in these pages, many of 
which have come under my own observation, and 
others collected from authentic sources, may 
prove useful and encouraging to the friends of 
Missions, would be a motive sufficiently powerful 
to induce me to present them to the public. 

GEORGE PRITCHARD. 

London, Oct. 15, 1844. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Tahiti, once the theme of holy song, and the boast of 
Christian piety, has become a name of disastrous import. 
The history of this beautiful island, with the exception 
of one short episode, has been written in blood to 
be read with tears. When brought out of its deep 
seclusion amidst the waters of the Pacific by Wallis, 
and afterwards presented more conspicuously to British 
observation by our illustrious but unfortunate navi- 
gator, Captain Cook, it concealed under the exterior 
covering of its picturesque scenery, and the enticing 
manners of its inhabitants, a cruel idolatry, and vices 
the most revolting : even the very semblance of vir- 
tue was unknown, and man appeared superior to the 
beast by an intellect that was employed only to render 
him more systematically and bewitchingly wicked. 
Thither, in the year 1796, sent by a Society then 
recently formed, of all denominations of evangelical 
Christians, for the conversion of Pagan nations, pro- 
ceeded a band of holy and devoted men, impelled by 
no motive but love to God and souls, to convert these 
savages to the religion which they themselves professed. 
For sixteen long and weary years, they laboured with- 
out so much success as the' salvation of a single idola- 



X 



INTRODUCTION. 



ter to reward their self-denying course and apparently 
hopeless exertions ; but with a zeal that seemed to 
acquire intensity by defeat, and a perseverance which 
disappointment could not wear out, they continued at 
their post, amidst " abominable idolatries " which shock- 
ed their piety, obscenities that revolted their purity, 
and cruel orgies that severely tested their powers of 
endurance. In vain during all this time did they en- 
deavour to prevail upon the deluded Tahitians to put 
a stop to infanticide, promiscuous concubinage, human 
sacrifices, and murderous wars : but they laboured on 
in prayer and in hope. 

At length the time to favour Tahiti arrived, and 
ci the set time was come : " God poured out his Spirit 
on its inhabitants, and led them to see the wickedness 
of their ways. The reward of their patient and en- 
during zeal now came in rich abundance upon the 
faithful and devoted men who had quitted the pre- 
cincts of civilization to dwell among savages, and the 
more sacred territories of religion, to take up their 
abode among idolaters ; — the false gods were abo- 
lished, and the places of their detestable rites were 
destroyed ; and with the cruel and licentious super- 
stition that originated them, retired all the filthy and 
obscene practices which had covered with pollution 
those scenes, with the loveliness of which they stood 
in hideous contrast. Christianity in all her power to 
reform, to govern, and to bless, and in her once primi- 
tive simplicity as she appeared when apostles introduced 
her to the world, took peaceable possession of Tahiti : 
under her beneficent reign not only was the worship 



INTRODUCTION. 



xi 



of the true God through the mediation of Christ set 
up, Christian churches formed, the Scriptures trans- 
lated, places of worship erected, the sacraments ad- 
ministered, and the Sabbath observed, but constitu- 
tional government on the basis of law was established, 
and the stream of civilization, ever waiting to fill the 
channels opened by evangelization, flowed in with all its 
rich and inestimable deposits. Religion and morality 
had begun to add new beauty to those romantic scenes 
where nothing but idolatry and crime had hitherto flou- 
rished in rank luxuriance. 

What is here said of Tahiti, may with equal truth 
and justice be said of many other islands, and groups 
of islands, both in the North and South Pacific. By 
the blessing of God upon the labours of the American 
Board of Foreign Missions, and of the Wesleyan Mis- 
sionary Society, as well as upon the labours of the 
London Missionary Society, more than one hundred of 
these secluded spots, once the dark domains of Satan, 
have renounced his yoke, and submitted to the sceptre 
of Christ. 

In proof of the truth of this statement, I refer those 
who would delight their minds by dwelling on one of the 
most pleasing pictures ever presented to the human mind, 
to read Stewart's 6 Account of the Progress of Christianity 
in the Sandwich Isles ; ' Ellis' 6 Polynesian Researches ; ' 
Williams' ' Missionary Enterprise,' with Prout's inter- 
esting life of this noble martyr ; and Mr. Ellis' ' History 
of the London Missionary Society,' the first volume of 
which is just published, and of which a writer in ' The 
Foreign Quarterly Review' says, "It is one of the most 



Xll 



INTRODUCTION. 



charming compositions of the kind we ever met with, 
— pleasing in style, ample in detail, without being in 
the least tedious — it leaves nothing to wish for." These 
publications will satisfy every reader of the reality and 
the beneficent nature of the change produced by Protes- 
tant missions in the islands of the Pacific. 

To these inestimable works is now added another, by 
an individual whose name has acquired a notoriety 
which he could have as little expected as he could have 
desired — I mean Mr. Pritchard, formerly the useful 
missionary, and subsequently the active, energetic, in- 
trepid, and persecuted British Consul at Tahiti. 

When the prospectus of the following work was sub- 
mitted to me with a request froin its author, in conse- 
quence of my having been formerly his pastor, to write 
an introduction to it, I was inclined to doubt whether 
anything could or need be added to what Mr. Ellis and 
Mr. Williams had already communicated in their more 
extended and elaborate publications ; but on perusing 
the sheets, which I did not till they were in print, I 
was led to the conclusion, that the subject is too inter- 
esting ever to tire by a repetition of facts ; that this 
new recital would tend to confirm the statements which 
have been already given to the public ; that the noto- 
riety acquired by Mr. Pritchard's name, will most 
certainly secure attention to any thing he may put 
forth on the affairs of the mission ; while the testimony 
which he bears as an eye-witness to much that he re- 
lates is of itself so pleasing and so important, as to make 
this new publication a welcome addition to our mission- 
ary information. 



INTRODUCTION. 



xiii 



This work is not intended by its Author to form a 
consecutive history of the Polynesian missions, but merely 
a collection of specimens of their results, from which 
may be inferred the nature and the value of the great 
moral change which has been effected by then- agency, 
and the direful consequences of that interruption to the 
work which has been so ruthlessly carried on by the 
aggression of France. Making no pretensions to literary 
elegance, rejecting all those studied embellishments which 
might be artistically grouped to form a picturesque 
narrative, Mr. Pritchard relies on nothing to interest 
the readers of his book, but u a plain unvarnished tale" 
of facts. His instances of individual conversions, give us 
a more vivid conception of the kind of moral revolution 
which has been wrought in the islanders of the Pacific, 
than volumes of general description, however eloquently 
written. Take, for example, the closing events of 
Mahine's life, or the death-bed scene of Maoae, as they are 
here described, and especially the brief memoir of Keo- 
puolani. Queen of the Sandwich Islands, and by looking 
at these instances, which are but a few out of myriads, 
what an impressive idea do we gain of the wondrous 
change produced by Christianity as preached by our 
missionaries and enforced by the powerful eloquence of 
their holy lives. Here will be seen, not a mere change 
of external custom, but of internal character — not only 
a polish of the surface, but a change of the very sub- 
stance — the man himself, in his habit of thought, voli- 
tion, feeling, and action, is made literally a neAv creature ; 
it is not his religious ceremonies only that are altered, 
but his very mind, and heart, and soul ; it is not merely 

b 



xiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



the substitution of a crucifix elegantly carved, for his 
wooden image rudely fashioned that has taken place, 
nor his genuflexions before the one for his prostrations 
before the other, but the displacing of all his cruel, licen- 
tious, and selfish passions, by the purity, the mercy, the 
truthfulness, and the happiness which, whether in the 
savage or the civilized man, are the invariable results 
of faith in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Nor is it merely an account of evangelization which 
is here presented to the public, but of civilization, its 
inseparable effect wherever it takes place among bar- 
barians. Christianity involves, of necessity, all the 
principles of human refinement, and comprehends the 
seeds of endless improvement, so that over whatever 
region it flows, however barren of intellect and virtue, 
it deposits a soil in which these seeds spring up to bear 
the fruits of social order and individual enjoyment, 
as well as of religious exercises. The printing-press, 
the plough, and the loom, cannot be long after the cross. 
It would be contrary to fact to affirm that in no case has 
civilization been carried on apart from evangelization, 
but it is a deduction from universal experience, that 
the preaching of the cross is not only the most certain 
but the most speedy and the most effectual method of 
raising the savage into the civilized man. Let any one 
read the account of the High School at Lahainaluna, con- 
nected with the mission at Hawaii ; or of the printing- 
office at the same place ; or of the cotton-manufactory 
built of hewn stone ; or of the sugar-cane plantations, 
with their accompanying difficult process of sugar- 
boiling ; or of any other of the numerous trades which 



INTRODUCTION. 



XV 



in its course of progressive improvement, so artlessly 
detailed in this little work, civilization has begun to 
put forth, and say, what benefits our Protestant 
missions have conferred on the inhabitants of Tahiti, 
and the other islands of Polynesia. These have been 
accredited by other witnesses than the missionaries 
themselves. Many of the commanders of our British 
ships of war, as well as of our merchant vessels, who 
have visited Tahiti, have, without conference, and 
unasked, borne their willing and honourable testimony 
to the beneficial change wrought by the labours of 
our missionaries in that island ; to whose testimony, 
grateful reference is made in these pages. And if 
nothing more were to result from the mission to 
Tahiti, and if it were now to end in blood and 
slaughter, still it will have served an important purpose 
in the moral theories that affect the destinies of our 
world, by the demonstration it affords, that no 
lengthened and elaborate process of civilization is 
necessary to prepare barbarians for the reception of 
Christianity. Both in the Pacific Ocean and among 
the Hottentots and other savages of the African 
deserts, the attempt to teach the people reading, 
writing, and the useful arts, was abortive, till they 
received the gospel and were brought under the 
motives to industry, which it alone supplies, and 
then afterwards civilization with rapid strides followed 
in its train. 

Mr. Pritchard's volume comes too late to surprise 
and delight us by the charms of novelty ; it has been 
anticipated by others already mentioned : but let it 



xvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



only be conceived that nothing had been heard of our 
missions to the islands of the Pacific till we read this 
work ; that we had received no previous preparation 
by other publications, for its facts ; that our mind had 
been called by this work to make its transition from 
the revolting scenes described by our missionaries as 
existing in Tahiti, before its conversion to Christianity, 
to those which are here exhibited ; that by a sudden 
shifting of the scene we had seen the idols, with their 
human sacrifices, obscene orgies, the Areoi societies, 
and infanticide ; the sanguinary wars and their feroci- 
ous customs, all pass away, and in their place the 
Christianized state of the people as here depicted, 
rising up before us, what a deeply interesting volume 
would this be found ; how eagerly would it be read ; 
what a sensation would it produce ; and how much 
would it be talked of : and it is only because it comes 
in the rear of its great predecessors that these results 
will not follow its publication. 

Alas ! that we should have now to turn from triumphs 
to tribulations, and instead of having to tell that Tahiti 
is still the scene of the unmolested and peaceful labours 
of the missionaries, and of the onward progress of 
Christianity and civilization, should be compelled to 
relate that it is the seat of a horrid oppression, an 
exterminating war, a general disruption of society, and 
a fearful suspension, if not a total extinction, of all mis- 
sionary operation. To borrow the expressive language 
of the writer in the Foreign Quarterly already alluded to, 
" 1 am reluctant to approach the sequel, and contemplate 
the intruders rushing like a hog into a flower-garden, to 



INTRODUCTION. 



xvii 



uproot and to destroy what the hand of industry had 
planted." Or, to borrow a somewhat analogous and 
scriptural allusion, that we should have to exclaim in 
words of truth and amidst sighs of anguish, " The boar 
out of the wood doth waste our vine, and the wild beast 
of the field doth devour it." It is not necessary, nor 
would it be convenient, here to go into the details of that 
horrible aggression which has been made by a nation, 
which boasts of its military glory, its chivalry, and its 
refinement, upon the female sovereign and the defence- 
less people of Tahiti ; but though, for obvious reasons, 
the odious and affecting tale of French aggression may 
not here be told, yet nearly the whole civilized world 
has heard by this time, with unutterable disgust, of its 
successive robberies of that defenceless country, first of 
property, and then of sovereignty — of its Protectorate 
forced upon the protesting Queen and her outraged sub- 
jects — of its imposition of Popery at the cannon's 
mouth — of the perfidy, fraud, and violence of its autho- 
rities ; and as the climax of its audacious and violent 
conduct, of the arrest, imprisonment, and expulsion of an 
accredited British functionary. These things are become 
matter of history, and will produce equal astonishment 
and abhorrence. In reference to the last act of aggres- 
sion, the Prime Minister of our country acknowledged 
in his place in the House of Commons, " That a gross 
outrage, accompanied by gross indignity, had been com- 
mitted upon a British Consul." Happily, a far greater 
calamity than even what has happened at Tahiti has 
been averted, and which, though at one time feared, and 
not altogether improbable, has always been deprecated 



xviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



by the friends of the Missionary Society — I mean a war 
between England and France. 

In what a melancholy and heart-rending state has 
this aggression left the devoted island where its atro- 
cities have been perpetrated ! When the last accounts 
came away the Queen was still a fugitive on board 
a British ship of war, dependent for subsistence as well 
as protection both for herself and her children upon the 
bounty and magnanimity of its generous commander ; 
the natives, goaded by indignities, wrongs, and oppres- 
sion, almost too great for human nature to endure, 
had unhappily taken up arms ; sanguinary conflicts 
likely to end in the extermination of the weaker party 
had commenced ; the mission churches were dispersed 
and the exercises of public worship suspended ; the 
missionaries had most of them fled from the scene of 
tumult and blood to the Leeward Islands ; and that spot, 
once so peaceful and so happy, had become a scene of 
devastation and blood. " The confused noise of the 
warrior," never heard since Tahiti had received the 
Gospel, now rolls along those valleys where lately was 
heard the sound of the chapel -bell, the voice of the 
preacher, and the hum of missionary schools ; while the 
thunder of artillery, the moans of the dying, and the 
shriek of widows whose husbands have fallen in battle, 
are reverberated from those mountains which till lately, 
echoed to no sounds less glad or holy than the songs of 
the multitude who keep holy the Sabbath. Alas, alas, 
what a change ! Who, upon contemplating this sad 
scene and its authors, can help thinking of Mr. Hall's 
eloquent description of the invasion of Egypt by 



INTRODUCTION. 



xix 



Napoleon Buonaparte? "Whilst he was looking round 
him, like a vulture perched on an eminence, for objects 
on which he might gratify his insatiable thirst of rapine, 
he no sooner beheld the defenceless condition of that 
unhappy country, than he alighted upon it in a moment. 
In vain did it struggle, flap its wings, and rend the air 
with its shrieks : the cruel enemy, deaf to its cries, had 
infixed his talons and was busy in sucking its blood, 
when the interference of a superior power forced him 
to relinquish his prey." Everything in this striking 
metaphor is applicable to the present case but its conclu- 
sion. The vulture is not scared away, but still holds in 
his talons, and sucks the blood of, his struggling, shriek- 
ing, and, I am afraid I must add, expiring victim. 

Of these calamities, however, the final issue is yet 
uncertain ; whether the labour of half a century is to be 
unravelled by the blood-stained and crafty hands which 
are at work there now, or whether in a way unthought 
of by human wisdom, He whose path is in the deep and 
who covereth himself with clouds, will make justice, 
truth, and piety, to triumph over oppression, error and 
irreligion, remains to be seen. Little is to be expected 
from France in the way of relinquishing her prey, either 
from foreign diplomacy, or from the compunctious visit- 
ings of her own conscience, but it is not improbable, if 
we may judge from the tone of some of her papers, that 
policy may yet do that which nothing else is likely to 
effect. One would fain hope that her government must 
be ignorant of all the facts of the case, that deluded by 
the false representations of such men as Dupetit Thouars, 
Briiat, D'Aubigny, and others still more crafty, though 



XX 



INTRODUCTION. 



not more cruel, it has been thus led to give its sanction 
to the establishment of a Protectorate which amounts to 
a virtual dethronement of a sovereign, who has done 
nothing to merit such cruel indignity and oppression. 
Is there no way of access direct to the ear of the King 
of the French ? Would he sanction this did he know the 
facts of the case ? Is M. Guizot himself in ignorance ? 
Did he not say in his place in the Chamber of Deputies, 
" The French force was bound to keep right on its side. 
We think it did not do so.* * *There were no instructions, 
there was no utility or necessity, neither was there justice 
towards the Queen and the natives. We are of opinion 
that the establishment of France in new regions, should 
not be accompanied by an act of violence towards the 
people among whom it appears for the first time." Is 
there no means of reminding M. Guizot of his own 
declarations ? 

In the mean while, there is much for us to learn and 
much for us to do in reference to these calamities. 
It is unnecessary to ask for the sympathies of the Chris- 
tian public on behalf of the insulted and fugitive Queen, 
her ill-treated subjects, the scattered churches and per- 
plexed missionaries : but one there is who has especial 
claim upon the respectful and tender regards of his fel- 
low-countrymen, and fellow- Christians — one whose per- 
son was arrested and confined in a dungeon without the 
shadow of an accusation, where for ten days and nights, 
separated from his wife and family, suffering from bodily 
affliction, his very life was in constant danger — whose 
property has been destroyed — whose character has been 
maligned by every species of calumny, down to the most 



INTRODUCTION. 



disgusting and filthy caricatures, by the malice of the 
French press — and who, upon his expulsion from the 
scene of his official duties, was obliged to leave his wife 
and part of his family in the hands of his persecutors, 
with only one short and furtive interview with these 
dear objects of his affection, without knowing how or 
where he should gain another interview with them, or 
whether that interview would be held in this world or 
the next* — surely such a man, and such is Mr. Prit- 
chard, deserves especially, I say, the sympathy of all who 
can feel for a sufferer, and who are convinced that he 
has done nothing to render his sufferings only an act 
of righteous retribution. 

It will perhaps excite the surpise of some in reading 
the following volume, that Mr. Pritchard has suffered 
so favourable an opportunity, as is furnished by its pub- 
lication, to pass by without embracing it, for, exposing, 
which by ample documents he could do, and exhibit 
a series of acts on the part of his opponents charac- 
terized by a duplicity rarely met with, the conduct of 
the destroyers of the independence and peace of Tahiti ; 
for pourtraying his own sufferings ; and for entering 
upon his defence against the attacks of slander. His 
office as British Consul forbids the one ; a noble magna- 
nimity has made him indifferent to the second ; and 
the third is needless. The British Government have 
been his defenders, not only by private testimonies, 
but by the more public and emphatic one of still con- 
tinuing their confidence in him, and appointing him as 

* Since then Mrs. Pritchard and her three daughters, who fled 
from Tahiti to Valparaiso, have arrived safely in this country. 



xxii 



INTRODUCTION. 



their Consul at the Navigator's Islands. This testimony 
would have been more complete, of course, had he 
gone back to Tahiti ; but from a knowledge of the 
disposition of the French authorities towards him, a 
wish to preserve the tranquillity of the two countries, 
ana also to avoid all occasions of collision, of which it 
may be justly feared that too many will continually oc- 
cur as long as the Protectorate continues, it has been 
thought proper not to send him to the same station, 
though still to the same consular jimsdiction. Here 
is his justification before his country, France, Europe, 
and the whole world, in this declaration by then* acts 
that he has done nothing to forfeit the confidence and 
esteem of the government that employs him. The Lon- 
don Missionary Society, whose agent he once was, and 
whose devoted friend lie still is, will follow him to 
his new station with their affection and respect ; while 
the public, who know him, and at the same time, love, 
commiserate, and esteem him, believe none of the 
stories that malice has invented for calumny to circu- 
late. This is his defence ; and it is enough. If any- 
thing else were wanting, his justification will be carried 
through the civilized world by the able article in the 
Foreign Quarterly Review, which with singular ability 
has sifted and exposed the whole Tahitian affair. 

It is now quite time I should consider in what state 
of mind ice as Christians, and as the friends of missions, 
should regard these calamities ; the lessons we should 
learn from them ; and the duties they call upon us to 
discharge. 

And do they not call upon us to enquire, wherefore 



INTRODUCTION. 



XX111 



the Lord has thus chastened us, and to examine whe- 
ther in our spirit and conduct in reference to Tahiti 
in particular, and to the other scenes of our success in 
the Pacific, there has been anything displeasing in his 
sight? Have we in our delight over our triumphs 
been boastful and vain-glorious, till we have forgotten 
to give Him the glory ? Has our joy been sufficiently 
purified from self-elation, and characterized, as it 
should have been, by humility and gratitude ? It is 
a time, and a call, for close examination and profound 
humiliation. The affliction will do us no good if it 
does not lead to this. It becomes us to bow down 
under the chastening hand of our God. Even this 
cometh from the Lord, who is wonderful in counsel 
and excellent in working. He has permitted it for 
wise ends, we are quite sure. Perhaps it is to infuse 
a greater degree of devout seriousness into our whole 
missionary procedure, to check our levity, to cure our 
frivolity, to expel from our meetings and our spirit, 
something of that noisy excitement and unseemly 
humour and merriment, by which they are sometimes 
too much characterized. Tahiti was our earliest mis- 
sion, and if by the death of this we shall be prepared 
to conduct ourselves better towards all the rest of the 
family, it will not be in vain, that for a season we 
have been called to put on sackcloth and to mourn as 
for a first-born. Instead then of merely exposing the 
injustice of the French Government or the craft of 
Popish priests, let us look well to our own spirits. It 
is a little remarkable, and is a coincidence worth 
noticing, that this cloud should have come over us 



xxiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



just as we were about to celebrate the jubilee of our 
society, and when we are soou to commeuce a new 
period iu its history : and it will be our wisdom, as 
it certainly is our duty, to summon into existence, and 
to exercise, more of the deep and hallowed feeling of 
the fathers and founders of our institution. They laid 
its foundation in faith and prayer, but we perhaps haye 
thought to build its walls by eloquence and excitement. 
Affliction sobers the mind, checks yolatility, and calls 
forth a manly and resolute temper which is prepared 
for great and noble deeds. Uninterrupted sunshine, 
and a constant high temperature, enervate the frame, 
which the frosty nights and the cloudy days of winter 
brace and invigorate. If these disastrous events should 
prove sanctified afflictions to us ; — if they should make 
us more solemnly in earnest ; — if they should cause our 
zeal to flow less in the noisy shallows, and more in the 
deep, though silent, channels of the majestic river ; — 
if they should make us more meditative and prayerful ; 
— if they should produce that resolute, intrepid, martyr- 
like courage which can exist only in trials and tribu- 
lations — a rich compensation in the future awaits us 
for the present loss, however costly, grievous, and de- 
plorable that loss might be. 

TTe should equally beware of a spirit of despon- 
dency. That we have much to fear for Tahiti, apart 
from the extirminating conflict now going on, if indeed 
it has not already ended in making the island the tomb 
of its adult male population, is but too evident. Apart 
from the insidious arts of Jesuit priests, think of the 
rank and putrescent profligacy now let loose upon the 



INTRODUCTION. 



XXV 



people by a French soldiery and sailory, the unrestrict- 
ed sale of ardent spirits, and the introduction of cor- 
rupting -port-, and you will see the peril in which 
morality and religion are placed. Still remember 
that all that has been done cannot be undone. 
Paganism, with all its horrid progeny of vice and 
misery, will no more pollute the land. Popery, though 
in our view a dreadful perversion of Christianity. 
>hould it succeed in its attempts to establish, itself in 
the island, is far better than the Paganism which 
once reigned there : and notwithstanding the perils of 
war. of bad example, and of Jesuit persuasion, there 
are. it may be hoped, not a few who. amidst this desolat- 
ing flood, will stand fast upon the rock of ages. Or if 
fleeing from an island, embittered to them by such sad 
recollections and such odious corruptions, they will then 
carry with them the precious truths they have received, 
which, like seed borne upon the wings of the wind, 
will drop and vegetate on other spots. But if even 
these hopes should not be realized, still there is one 
source of consolation remaining, and that is, that French 
force and Romish zeal cannot reach to heaven, where 
much of our labour is laid up beyond the reach of 
violence and injustice. The glorified spirits of just 
men made perfect, whose names this little volume pre- 
serves while it embalms their memory, and hundreds 
like them, cannot be plucked from their spheres and 
again be exposed to the seduction of error or of vice : 
they at any rate will remain everlasting monuments of 
God's grace and our success. " Blessed men, ye were 
taken away from the evil to come, and should the 

c 



xxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



spirits of your slaughtered fellow- Christians bear to 
you the sad intelligence of 'the abomination of desola- 
tion that now maketh desolate' your once peaceful 
and beautiful island, the disastrous news will reach you 
in a world where you will see in the light of eternity, 
the reasons of events, which, to our beclouded vision, 
appear as deep, unfathomable mysteries." 

Xor is this all ; the grand experiment has been tried 
and tried with success before a sceptical world, and in 
a thoughtless age, whether there is any nation sunk so 
Ioav in barbarous ignorance and pagan crime, as not to 
be reached by the regenerating power of the gospel, 
when applied by Christian zeal and followed by the 
grace of God. The experiment has been tried, and 
tried with success, and it is this which has excited the 
envy, roused the jealousy, and called forth the efforts 
of the Vatican, whether the cross without the crucifix, 
the simple truth of the Bible without pantomimic cere- 
monies, and Protestantism, by the doctrines of the Re- 
formation, unaided by the pretensions and opposed to 
the authority of Rome, can turn man from dumb idols 
to serve the living and true God. It was at one time 
the boast of Popery that the attempt, the power, the 
success, and the glory of converting Pagan nations, be- 
longed to its votaries ; and Protestants were taunted 
with their indolence and impotence in reference to this 
matter. That boast is lost — that taunt is silenced. 
Force and cunning may extinguish the mission to 
Tahiti, but the record of the experiment and of its 
success remains as the theme of veritable history. It 
is not without reason, therefore, that Rome fears the 



INTRODUCTION. 



xxvii 



success of Protestant missions, since they arc spread- 
ing all over the face of the earth, and competing with 
her for one of her marks of apostolicity, I mean, univer- 
sality. 

But this is not all that should check our desponding 
feelings in reference to this event : Tahiti, though the 
first scene of our missionary operations and success, 
and though on several accounts the most interesting 
one, is but one among many. If in the deep mysteries 
of God this should be lost to us, it is, I repeat, only 
one among many : it is but the fall of one star from 
a galaxy. Whole groups of islands yet remain un- 
visited by French soldiers and Romish priests. I again 
mention the delightful fact that more than one hundred 
islands are computed to have abandoned idolatry. 
Much therefore as we should regret to lose Tahiti, yet 
even then a vast field of missionary enterprize, in the 
Great Pacific, remains untrodden by the foot of oppres- 
sion, inviolate to the hand of spoliation, though certainly 
not uncoveted by that vast ecclesiastical ambition whose 
desires can never be satiated till the whole world be 
subject to its sway. 

The calamities we deplore are pregnant with instruc- 
tion on many subjects, and prominent among these is the 
demonstration they afford, in the strongly-marked and 
unaltered character of Popery, " that Christian charity 
is as alien as ever from its nature ; that it cannot tole- 
rate, even in the most isolated portions of the globe, 
the existence of any other creed than its own, and that 
wherever such appears, its earliest and most energetic 
efforts are employed for its annihilation. They also 



xxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



show that disguise and deception are as eagerly used now 
as during the most corrupt periods of its history. The 
first teacher of Popery landed at Tahiti under the dis- 
guise of a carpenter, and some of the earliest converts in 
the Pacific were baptized and said to be regenerated un- 
consciously to themselves and unsuspected by their rela- 
tives around." M. Bataillon, one of the priests, describing 
his own proceedings, under date May 1839, states that, 
" In order to experience no ciirficulty in administering 
baptism, even in presence of the mother, I act in the 
following manner : — I have always with me one bottle 
of scented water, and another of plain water ; I pour 
at first some drops of the former on the head of the 
child, under pretext of soothing it, and whilst the 
mother pleases herself in softly spreading it with her 
hand, I change the bottles, and shed the water which 
regenerates, without their suspecting what I have 
done."* 

Equally just are Mr. Ellis' remarks on the conduct 
of the French nation : — " France has complained of 
being isolated ; and recently appeared ready to rush into 
a war with the rest of Europe, rather than not be in- 
cluded in a convention for preserving the integrity of 
the Ottoman empire. But the French Government 
must know that by proceedings such as those pursued at 
Tahiti, and approved in Paris, France was most effec- 
tually isolating herself, not from formal compacts and 
engagements with the European family of nations, but 
from a participation of the purest and loftiest sympathies, 
the most noble and generous feelings of all honourable 
* Agression des Francais contre Tile de Tahiti. — Appendice, p. 78. 



INTRODUCTION. 



xxix 



men — showing the feeble influence, if not the entire ab- 
sence of those principles of humanity, integrity and 
honour, which form the basis of all amicable relations, 
and of all respect and confidence among nations, as well 
as among individuals. The French government cannot 
be surprised, therefore, if other nations regard their 
movements with suspicion, and their professions with 
distrust." Whether this be a movement of political policy 
on the part of the French Government to multiply its 
colonies, and increase its means, in the event of a war 
with this country, of annoying us in our eastern pos- 
sessions ; or whether it be that it has lent itself to 
Popery to further the ambition of the Vatican, it will 
find in either of these cases a poor and miserable com- 
pensation, in the conquest of Tahiti, for its loss of 
national honour. 

But let us turn our attention from human govern- 
ments and these lawless proceedings to that which is 
divine. " The Lord reigneth ; let the earth rejoice ; 
let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and 
darkness are round about him ; righteousness and 
judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire 
goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round 
about." Let the oppressed and their friends listen 
to this cheering announcement. Let them turn with 
calmness, with confidence and hope to Him who has 
prepared his throne in the heavens, and whose kingdom 
ruleth over all. With a policy infinitely more profound, 
and a power more mighty than that of France and 
Rome combined, he is looking with pity upon the op- 
pressed, and indignation on the oppressor ; and though 



XXX 



INTRODUCTION. 



for awhile he may permit the latter to triumph over 
the former, the day of vengeance is in his heart, and 
the year of his reedemed will come. "The Lord 
reigneth ; let the people tremble : he sitteth between 
the chernbims ; let the earth be moved. The Lord is 
great in Zion, and he is high above all the people. The 
king's strength also loveth judgment ; thou dost establish 
equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in 
Jacob." Let the oppressors hear this and be afraid. 
Our appeal should be in the confidence of faith, and 
by earnest prayer to Him that sitteth upon the throne 
of the universe. Why have we not had a day of 
fasting and prayer ? If I blame the Directors of the 
London Missionary Society for anything connected with 
Tahitian affairs, it is for their not inviting the churches 
by special appeal to set apart a day for humiliation and 
prayer. It would, I believe, have been responded to 
very generally, if not universally. The exigency of 
the case requires it, while the importance of the object 
justifies it. We are in a crisis of the history of our 
Polynesian missions, and yet there appears to me a 
disposition rather to complain than to pray, and to trust 
to our representations and petitions to human govern- 
ments, rather than to our supplications to heaven. 
God only can help us. Why have we not then 
gathered as with one heart and mind round the 
throne of Him whose title it is that he heareth prayer, 
and whose glory it is that he answereth the supplica- 
tions of his church by terrible things in righteousness — 
round the throne of Him who is our salvation, and 
the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them 



INTRODUCTION. 



xxxi 



that are afar off upon the sea. Let us cease to blame 
our government for not doing all they could in averting 
this calamity, and blame ourselves for not doing what 
we could have done by prayer. Tahiti, I repeat, is 
probably lost to us, unless it be recovered by the power 
of prayer, and other islands will be lost too unless 
they are saved by the same means. Sermons will not 
do it, speeches will not do it, money will not do it ; — 
we may have the eloquence of Cicero and Demosthenes, 
and the wealth of all the land, but without prayer it 
would be ineffectual. Let us have united prayer — 
individual prayer ; let every one in whom the spirit 
of prayer dwelleth cry mightily to God : and vthen 
" shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and 
night unto him, though he bear long with them ?" The 
friends of the missions in the Pacific ought to know the 
danger in which these missions are placed, to show 
them the necessity of earnest prayer to God for their 
preservation. Their entire subversion is determined 
upon. What has occurred is only the first act of the 
tragedy. A spirit of propagandise, at this moment 
pervades all France, at least its Catholic population. 
" It is well known that from that country a movement, 
long preparing, has gone forth, which about ten years 
ago began to break in soft murmurs on the shores of the 
Pacific. Under the Restoration in 1822, a vast associa- 
tion, called the CEuvre de la Propagation de la Foi, was 
established at Lyons, placed under the patronage of 
St. Francis Xavier, supported by an organised system 
of almsgiving, one sou a week from all the faithful 
who chose to co-operate in this holy work, and granted 



xsxii 



INTRODUCTION. 



plenary indulgences by four successive popes. To this 
association were attached four French congregations — 
those of the Lazaristes, the Maristes, the Missions 
Etrangeres, and the Maison de Picpus. The last, 
which most concerns us, was founded in 1814 by the 
Abbe Coudrin. who lived in the street called Picpus, 
whence the name of the society, which was instituted 
with the double object of reviving the faith in France 
and spreading it abroad. It was dedicated to the Sacred 
Hearts of Jesus and Maria ! A decretal of the Propa- 
ganda confirmed by Leo XII., June 2nd, 1833, con- 
fided to this Society the task of converting all the 
islands of the Pacific from the North to the South 
Pole."* From this society has originated the movement, 
the consequences of which are written in characters of 
blood in the island of Tahiti : and its ulterior objects 
are the entire subversion of all our missions in the 
North and South Pacific. The public will not fail to 
observe that, passing over, or at any rate leaving un- 
visited, the many islands, and groups of extensive, popu- 
lous, and important islands in the same ocean, and yet 
unoccupied by any missionaries, the Roman Catholics 
have prepared " to seize," as Mr. Ellis says, " the field 
of another, and to rob the labourer who had borne the 
heat and burden of the day of the fruits of the peril, 
privation, and toil of nearly fifty years : not to subvert 
idolatry and civilize the savage, but to unsettle and 
perplex the minds of those who had for many years 
embraced the Christian faith, and to cause divisions and 
strife among those who, though formerly alienated and 

* Foreign Quarterly Review, October 1844, page 175. 



INTRODUCTION. 



XXX111 



hostile, had by the gospel been brought to live in har- 
mony and good-will with each other. And all this for 
no other apparent reason than that these spots of civi- 
lization and moral verdure, under Protestant culture, 
were more offensive in the sight of the propagandists, 
than the barbarism, moral pollution, and idolatry of all 
the pagan islands of Polynesia." 

And how are these endeavours of Rome to be met ? 
How is this scheme to be frustrated? Not by laws 
forbidding its votaries to preach ; not by restrictions 
upon the right, of teaching ; not by penal protections 
granted to any system of doctrine : these are not the 
ways by which error is to be resisted and truth 
promoted. Roman Catholics have as much right to 
spread their opinions as Protestants, provided they use 
none but the legitimate weapons of Scripture, and 
reason.* Prayer is our stronghold. France is strong, 
Rome is crafty, but God is stronger than the former 
and wiser than the latter ; and to him let us appeal 
in all the power of universal, believing., and persevering 
supplication. 

But prayer is not everything we must do — the con- 
flict must be maintained against the aggressions of 

* " It is true that a law was passed by the government of Tahiti 
forbidding the circulation, either by natives or foreigners, of any 
other religion than that already taught to the people. This law, 
however, does not appear ever to have been enforced, and its 
promulgation is to be regretted as erroneous in principle, and 
was condemned by many of the missionaries : but it was suggested 
by the French authorities themselves, and deeming themselves 
safe under such sanction, the Queen and chiefs enacted it." — 
Ellis, page 410. 



xxxiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



Popery with increasing rigour, both in this comitry 
by sending out more missionaries, and by the mission- 
aries themselves in laborious endeavours to train their 
converts in the knowledge and right application of 
scripture truth. To slacken our efforts for the Poly- 
nesian missions now, would be cowardly and criminal. 
True it is that the events which have transpired in the 
East are calling our attention to India and China. 
Doors are opening, and voices are calling to us, in 
that quarter of the world : and it may be that we 
have too much neglected mighty empires and vast con- 
tinents for insular spots and scattered tribes. While 
engaged in surveying the beautiful pictures which our 
missionaries have presented to us of their success in 
transforming the most revolting scenes of barbarism, 
idolatry, and vice, into spots covered with intellectual, 
social, and moral vegetation, in the romantic islands of 
Polynesia, we have too much forgotten, perhaps, the 
teeming millions of Asia, and have been somewhat im- 
patient of the slower but the stupendous? process of per- 
meating that vast mass with the principles of revealed 
truth. Still we dare not, we cannot, we will not, relin- 
quish the great Pacific, and our possessions in it, to the 
aggressions of Rome and the societies of France. We 
are summoned by recent events, as by a new, an awful, 
and commanding voice, to the scenes of our first labours, 
and our greatest triumphs. Our present object should 
be rather to defend the positions we already occupy 
there, than to occupy more. We shall be attacked 
speedily, vigorously, and successively, in each, and 
we must prepare for it. To denounce Popery is 



INTRODUCTION. 



XXXV 



not enough ; to despise it would be folly, and to 
be unnecessarily afraid of it, cowardice ; — we must 
resist it, by keeping up our missions and taking 
care to fill the minds of our converts with Bible 
truth. The Bible is the antagonist of Popery : a Bible 
population, whether at home or abroad, is the levy en 
masse that must be employed to repel the incursions 
of this invader — every man must be a soldier, be 
armed with a Bible, and be trained well in the use of 
his weapon. The Scriptures must be translated into 
every dialect, printed in every island, and put into 
every hand, and the great principles of Protestantism 
instilled into every mind ; while at the same time, the 
true nature of religion, as consisting of something more 
and better than the heartless observance of ecclesias- 
tical forms, having no foundation in the Bible and no 
influence on the conduct, must be taught to the people, 
and they must be made to understand that, in the ab- 
sence of faith working by love, the most gorgeous cere- 
monies are but the exchange of one system of super- 
stition for another. Adhering to this line of conduct, 
and confiding in the power, wisdom, and grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, we may allay our solicitude, though 
we have many reasons for vigilance and activity, and 
may wait in calmness and in hope for the result of the 
conflict between truth and error, which has but com- 
menced in the distant islands of the Pacific, assured 
that present and partial defeat will end in complete and 
universal victory. 

I now commend to the favourable reception of the 
public this unpretending volume, for the preparation 



xxxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



and publication of which I am in no sense answerable ; 
the perusal of which cannot fail to produce a deep con- 
viction of the importance of the work which has been 
wrought in the conversion of the islands of the Pacific 
to Christianity, and of the greatness of the calamity 
which, by a disgraceful combination of force and fraud 
rarely equalled, never surpassed, has been inflicted upon 
Tahiti, and by which a people lately emerged from bar- 
barism and a bloody and licentious idolatry into the 
peaceful enjoyments of our own holy religion, have been 
so cruelly interrupted in the exercise of their piety, 
overwhelmed by the horrors of war, and threatened 
with utter extermination. 



J. A. JAMES. 



CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER I. 

The glorious effects of the Gospel upon Individuals. — Mahine, 
Chief of Huahine. — Maoae of Eirneo. — Makea of Rarotonga. — 
Tupe, a Deacon. — Meretu, a native Preacher. — Tuaivi, a Can- 
nibal. — Tausaga and Taulagi of Tutuila. — Keopuolani, Queen of 
the Sandwich Islands — Her Prohibition of all Heathen Customs at 
her death — Her Directions about her Funeral — Her dying Charge 
respecting her Children — Her Advice to the Chiefs . Page 1 

CHAPTER II. 

Delightful change in Families. — The former degraded Condition 
of the Females. — Infanticide. — Dedication of Children to Oro, the 
God of War, and to Hiro, the God of Thieves.— The Cruelty of 
Children to their aged Parents. — The Barbarous conduct of Tanoa, 
a Fijian Chief. — A Family under the influence of the Gospel. — 
Husband and Wife enjoy equal Privileges. — Children are dedi- 
cated to the true God. — Family Prayer. — Future Prospects . 28 

CHAPTER III. 

The change produced by the Gospel on Communities. — 
Former cruel Customs. — A Conversational Meeting. — Natives 
describe their changed Condition. — State of the Samoans when 



xxxviii 



CONTENTS. 



visited by the Messenger of Peace. — Natives burnt alive. — Canni- 
balism. — Arrival of Missionaries. — The first Missionary Meeting 
at the Samoas. — Trials and Pleasures of Missionaries. — Past and 
Present State contrasted. — No more War. — Cannibalism at the 
Fijiis. — Humane conduct of a Captain. — Effects of Perseverance. 
— Destruction of Idols. — The present happy Condition of the 
Natives Page 35 



CHAPTER IV. 

Character of the Native Converts — Misrepresented by some 
Foreigners — Captain Fitzroy's Testimony. — Anxiety to possess 
the Word of God. — The first complete copy of the Bible. — A 
Box of Bibles broken open. — The Queen's Secretary, and his Bible. 
— They diligently search the Scriptures. — A Family sitting in 
the dark. — The Scriptures greatly valued. — Anxiety to understand 
the Scriptures. — Bible Classes. — Numerous Enquiries. — Visits to 
the Out-stations. — Great aptness in applying the Scriptures. — 
Noah's Ark. — The Prodigal Son. — The Water of Life. — Attach- 
ment to the Missionaries. — Their conduct on hearing of the death 
of Mr. Williams. — The Missionary's Return. — Letter to the 
Churches in Britain. — Attendance on the Means of Grace. — 
Correct Views of Divine Things 55 



CHAPTER V. 

The Character of the Native Converts continued. — Their ardent 
zeal. — Communication of Instruction. — Chapel-building. — Mis- 
sionary zeal. — Missionary Prayer-meetings. — Annual Meetings. 
— Native Speeches. — The Formation of a Missionary Society. — 
Speeches. — Three Reasons for sleeping comfortably. — Missionary 
Meeting at Tutuila. — Subscriptions. — Letter to the Treasurer. — 
Subscriptions at the Friendly Islands. — King George's Liberality 
and Labours . . .89 



CONTEXTS. 



XXXIX 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Importance of Native Agency. — Many willing to Labour. 
— A Chief of high rank on Tutuila. — A Blind Chief. — Moral 
Courage. — Introduction of the Gospel to Mangaia. — Willing to 
sacrifice Life in the cause of Christ. — Abundant success. — Cha- 
racter of Native Teachers. — Meretu preaching to three thousand. 
— Colleges for Native Agents. — These Agents absolutely neces- 
sary ......... Page 111 



CHAPTER VII. 

Schools. — Infant Schools. — Schools for older Children. — Poly- 
nesian Children not deficient in Intellect. — Proficiency in Read- 
ing, Writing, and Arithmetic. — Annual Examinations. — Euro- 
pean Clothing. — Native manufactured Ribbons. — Speeches of two 
Boys and a Teacher. — Visit to the Schools on Rarotonga. — 
Children sing Hosanna. — Impression produced. — Boarding-Schools. 
— Schools for the Sons of the Chiefs. — Boarding- Schools for Girls. 
— Seminary at Vailuku. — At Hilo. — The High School on Maui 
— The various Branches of Study. — Sabbath Schools. — Retentive 
Memory. — Visits of Captains and others. — Correct Views of Divine 
Truth. — Great Good effected. — Moral Influence. — Death of a 
School Gild. — Two Boys in a Boat. — Children's Letter and 
Presents. — Civilization promoted. — Many Children have become 
pious. — Nurseries for the Church. — Happy Deaths. — Many School 
Children now in Heaven. — Best Teachers. — Teacher's Meetings. 
— Some become Missionaries. — Gratuitous Labours of the 
Teachers . .128 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Progress of Civilization. — Xew Modes of Living. — Houses and 
Furniture. — Property. — Letter-writing. — Cultivation of the Land. 
— Mechanical Arts — Blacksmiths — Sawyers — Carpenters — Wood- 



xl 



CONTENTS. 



turners — Cabinet-makers — Boat-builders — Printers — Bookbinders 
— Weavers — Rope-makers — Sugar-boilers. — Female skill — Dress- 
makers — Tailoresses — Bonnet-makers, &c. &c. — Superior Plat. — 
Articles for Exportation. — Benefits to Foreigners. — Life Pre- 
served. — Property Protected. — Abundant Supplies for Shipping, 
— Spiritual Benefits. — Many Foreigners Converted. — Much Sin 
Prevented. — Graceless Mariners. — Benefits to Commerce. — New 
Ports Open. — Great Consumption of Foreign Articles. — Whale 
Fisheries. — A Line of Packets .... Page 165 

CHAPTER IX. 

CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

Christianity and Civilization inseparable. — Encouragements to 
persevere in Missionary Labours. — More Agents required. — The 
Young invited. — Students preparing for the Ministry at home. 
Young Men in the Medical Profession. — Settled Ministers. — 
Greater Liberality essential. — More fervent Prayer for the out- 
pouring of the Spirit upon Missionary Labours. — Personal 



Religion 192 



ENGRAVINGS. 

Cession of Land to the Missionaries in 1797 . Frontispiece. 

Mr. Simpson's Chapel Page 51 

Natives with Various Articles for Sale . . . „ 57 

Mr. Williams' Monument „ 75 

A Blind Chief at the Navigators „ 115 

School Procession at Huahine . . . . . ,,132 

Mr. Pitman's School-house at Rarotonga . . . ,,136 

Mission Seminary at Lahainaluna . . . . „ 146 

Printing Office „ 176 

Tahitian Females Making Cloth . . . . „ 179 



THE 

MISSIONARY'S REWARD. 



CHAPTER I. 

The glorious effects of the Gospel upon Individuals. — Mahine, 
Chief of Huahine. — Maoae of Eimeo. — Makea of Rarotonga. — 
Tupe, a Deacon. — Meretu, a native Preacher. — Tuaivi, a Can- 
nibal. — Tausaga and Taulagi of Tutuila. — Keopuolani, Queen 
of the Sandwich Islands — Her Prohibition of all Heathen 
Customs at her death — Her Directions about her Funeral — 
Her dying Charge respecting her Children — Her Advice to 
the Chiefs. 

The gospel produces the same effects upon the 
degraded heathen, as upon the polished European. 
It not only eradicates vicious principles and lops 
off bad practices, but it also produces " repentance 
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus 
Christ." There is in the Cross of Christ a power- 
ful attraction, which draws the heathen out of 
that moral darkness in which they are enveloped, 
and leads them direct to the Saviour. In obe- 

B 



2 GLORIOUS EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL. 

dience to the Divine command, " the servants of 
the most high God" have gone forth to the 
heathen world, exhibiting the inexhaustible trea- 
sures of the gospel, and beseeching men to take 
freely of the proffered blessings. They have not 
laboured in vain. Multitudes of the heathen have 
been turned " from darkness to light, and from the 
power of Satan unto God." In many places where 
the gospel has been preached with simplicity and 
fidelity, the most glorious results have followed. 
In Polynesia it has changed the lion into a lamb, 
and converted gross idolaters into the worshippers 
of the true God. It has communicated invaluable 
blessings, both temporal and spiritual, to those 
who have experienced its transforming power ; it 
has illuminated the dark valley of the shadow of 
death, and inspired the soul with a hope full of 
immortality. We might select a large number of 
individuals, in whom a most delightful change 
has been effected, and who have become heirs of 
eternal life. A few will suffice. 

Mahine, one of the principal chiefs at Huahine, 
was a celebrated warrior. He was not only the 
terror of all on the island where he lived, but also 
of those on the neighbouring islands. The late 



MAHIXE, CHIEF OF HUAHINE. 



3 



king of Taliiti ; Pomare, used frequently to send 
for him to assist him in his wars at Tahiti. After 
the gospel had operated upon his heart, he be- 
came as meek and humble as a little child. He 
was indefatigable in his exertions to promote the 
cause of truth. 1 have seen him, with his hoary 
head, in the children's school communicating 
instruction to the rising generation. Just as the 
sun was throwing his first rays upon the summit 
of the lofty mountain, at the base of which stand 
the chapel and the school-house, you might see 
this old veteran bending his steps to the Bible- 
class, that his mind might be illuminated with 
spiritual light emanating from the Sun of Right- 
eousness. I have with delight heard him, in 
their social meetings, exhorting his fellow-country- 
men "to love and good works." He built a large 
boat, or rather a small schooner, which was always 
at the service of the missionary. Frequently has 
he taken Mr. Barff to the other districts in Hua- 
hine, and to a neighbouring island, that he might 
preach the gospel to those who had but few 
opportunities of hearing it from the lips of a 
missionary. He has, I trust, entered into that 
rest which remaineth for the people of God. 



4 



MAHINE, CHIEF OF HTJAHINE, 



Mr. Barff gives the following interesting account 
of this venerable chief. 

" Manine, I suppose, was nearly eighty years 
of age at his death. He was a man when Captain 
Cook called in 1777. He was baptised with 
thirteen more in 1819, and received into church- 
communion the following May ; since which 
period he has been a steady, active, and consistent 
member. He had been several years a deacon,, 
in which capacity he was very active, accompany- 
ing the missionary from house to house, to exhort 
to love and good works. No chief that I am ac- 
quainted with showed such attachment to the 
missionaries, desiring as much as possible to be 
in their company, and even accompanying them 
in itinerating excursions to other islands, until 
the weight of years compelled him to remain at 
home; and even then to be in the company of 
the missionary, to converse about the way to 
heaven revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, seemed 
all he wished to live for* 

" During the lapse of twenty years' many 
changes have taken place, and characters have 
been tried. Many whom we thought our friends 
forsook us in the day of trial, and the faith also 



DEATH OF HUAHIXE. 



5 



they once professed; but Mahine was our steady 
friend at all times, and on several occasions 
hazarded his life in defence of the truth which we 
were appointed to teach. 

" As death approached, he had a presentiment 
that his end was near, and proceeded to give par- 
ticular directions about his granddaughter and 
wife, and the affairs of his district and govern- 
ment, and exhorted the chiefs in particular to 
maintain a steady attachment to the missionary 
and the gospel. I called upon him frequently, 
and felt anxious, if it were the will of God, to 
retain him a little longer among us ; but on the 
1st of February, perceiving his end was near, 
I asked how he felt in the prospect of death • he 
said, e Christ is my resting-place — the fear of 
death is removed — I have taken leave of all things 
here — and am waiting and praying for the Lord 
to take me/ Early the next morning, the Lord 
took him. Thus died Mahine, great as a heathen 
chief, and the terror of the islands around ; but 
greater as a Christian in humility, in faith, in 
diligence, in stedfastness, through grace, unto 
the end/' 

To what can we attribute this striking trans- 



6 



MAOAE OF EIMEO, 



formation of character, but to the glorious gospel 
of the blessed God ? 

Maoae, who lived on Eimeo, was one of 
those whose office it was to rally dispirited war- 
riors. He used to spend whole nights in going 
from house to house stimulating the people, 
and giving them assurances from the gods of 
success in an approaching war. From the time 
he embraced the gospel till the day of his death, 
he adorned his Christian profession. He appeared 
to experience great delight in attending the sacred 
ordinances of religion, and from the habit of 
treasuring up in his mind passages of Scripture, 
he had obtained a correct knowledge of the great 
and essential doctrines of the gospel. 

When, by age and infirmity, he was brought 
nigh unto death, Mr. Orsmond, his missionary, 
said to him, a Maoae, are you sorry that you 
ever cast away the lying gods, by which you used 
to obtain so much property?" With consider- 
able vehemence, he replied, " Oh, no, no, no. 
What ! can I be sorry for casting away death for 
life ? Whole nights I have walked about to en- 
courage others in the devil's work, and had well 
nigh lost my own soul. I wonder that I was not 



DEATH OF MAOAE. 



7 



levelled by a club or spear before I heard of the 
name of the Messiah. He is my rock, and the 
fortification in which my soul takes refuge/ - ' On 
being interrogated respecting the foundation of 
his hopes of future bliss, he said, " I am a vile 
man ; my life has been vile : but ambassadors 
were sent to our shores with terms of peace. 
We continued to fight, nor could we tell for some 
years what those ambassadors wanted. At length 
Pomare having gained a victory, invited all his 
subjects to come and take shelter under the wing 
of Jesus, of whom those ambassadors spake. I 
was one of the first to do so. The blood of Jesus 
is my foundation. Jesus is the best King; he 
gives a pillow without thorns." He was asked 
if he was afraid to die. With almost youthful 
energy, he replied, " Xo, no : the ship is in the 
sea ; the sails are spread ; she is ready. I have 
a good pilot, and a good landing-place before me. 
My outside man and my inside man differ. Let 
the one rot till the trumpet shall be blown ; but 
let my soul go to the throne of Jesus." Only a 
short time had elapsed, when he embarked for 
the eternal world ; and we doubt not, has been 
safely landed on the heavenly shores. Thus did 



8 



MAKEA OF RAROTONGA. 



this formerly degraded heathen exchange the sor- 
rows of time for the glories of eternity. 

The late Makea of Earotonga was not only a 
gross idolater and a cruel tyrant, but also a 
great cannibal. Not satisfied with the bodies 
of the slain and the captives taken in war, he 
would sometimes give orders to his servants to 
go and kill one of his own people, just that he 
might have an opportunity of gratifying his can- 
nibal appetite, and enjoying what he considered a 
dainty meal. So fond was he of human flesh, 
that he frequently had it suspended to the trees 
around his house, similar to joints of meat on the 
hooks at a butcher's shop. 

This man received the gospel, and became an 
interesting character. He rendered very valuable 
assistance to Mr. Williams when building his 
missionary vessel, "The Messenger of Peace." 
As a deacon of the church, his services were 
highly important to his beloved missionary, Mr. 
Buzacott ; at all times ready and willing to assist 
in carrying out such plans as were devised for the 
furtherance of the gospel. When I was at Raro- 
tonga, I lodged at Makea' s a few nights, and had 
repeated opportunities of conversing with him. 



TUPE, A DEACON. 



9 



His views of divine things were very correct and 
extensive. During his illness, lie manifested a 
truly Christian spirit, and there is every reason 
to believe that he died happily in the Lord. 

Tupe, a deacon and an occasional preacher on 
Rarotonga, was an individual in whom the power 
of the gospel was strikingly displayed. He was 
formerly one of the principal supporters of idol- 
atry; but he became a most active and zealous 
advocate in the cause of Christianity. He was 
exceedingly anxious to obtain clear and correct 
views of divine truth. Frequently was he with 
the missionary till near midnight, conversing 
about the "great salvation/' Nothing seemed to 
occupy so much of his attention as the concerns 
of his soul, nor did anything appear to be more 
desired by him, than the extension of the 
Redeemer's kingdom. There was an entire con- 
secration of himself to the temporal and spiritual 
welfare of his countrymen. He was indefatigable 
in his efforts to forward the cause of God. 

As a deacon, he faithfully discharged the im- 
portant duties of his office. Most days of the 
week he was engaged in conducting religious 
services and examining candidates for divine 



10 



TUPE, A DEACON. 



ordinances. For this department of labour he 
was eminently qualified. He rated very low his 
own abilities, and often deeply lamented his 
ignorance. Those around him were often struck 
with his decided piety, deep humility, and holy 
zeal for the advancement of "pure religion." 

About three years before his death, his health 
began to decline, but he was "stedfast and im- 
movable, always abounding in the work of the 
Lord," till within a few weeks of his decease, 
when he was confined to his room by severe 
affliction, during which time he manifested the 
most cheerful resignation to the Divine will, and 
was favoured with delightful anticipations of 
future glory. His missionary having called to 
see him, said, " It is something strange to observe 
your seat empty in the house of God." He 
replied, "It is the will of God that it should be 
so. Here I sit and hear the people sing in the 
chapel (his house being near), and I wish to be 
there. I give myself to prayer. God is with 
me : He will not forsake me." Referring to the 
faithfulness of God, he said, " Not one good thing 
has failed of all that God has spoken. He pro- 
mised to Israel victory over their enemies, posses- 



TUPE, A DEACON. 



11 



sion of Canaan, &c, all of which he has fulfilled." 
On another occasion, he said, "Two portions of 
the word of God afford me much delight ; that in 
Isaiah, ' Their eyes shall see the King in his 
beauty; they shall behold the land that is very 
far off and the w T ords of Paul, c having a desire 
to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far 
better/ I have no dread of death. Christ is my 
refuge." Mr. Pitman, his missionary, said to 
him, " You have greatly assisted me in the w r ork 
of God, from my first coming to Rarotonga, and 
now we shall be separated." He replied, " Salva- 
tion is all of grace, through the blood of Jesus. 
Our work has not been in vain." Intimating 
that although he had laboured successfully, there 
was nothing meritorious in his best actions. 
Mr. Pitman said to him, " In our Father's house 
we shall meet again." "Yes," was his reply, 
"we shall meet in glory, to be for ever with 
Christ : I long to go to be with him." A little 
before he died, his missionary had with him the 
following conversation. " Do you find the Saviour 
your support in death ?" " He is." " Have 
you any fear ?" "None ; Christ is mine." "Your 
last discourse to the people was on the death of 



12 



DEATH OF TUPE. 



Stephen, who saw the glory of Jesus; are you 
also looking to him now in your departure?" " I 
desire to see him and to be with him." "You 
will soon leave us; we shall be in the wilderness." 
" Yes, I go ; you remain. I am going to God — 
I have done with the world. We have long been 
companions ; now we part : it is painful ; but let 
the Lord's will be done ; yes, the Lord's will be 
done." "What do you desire for your children?" 
" The word of God — the blood of Jesus." When 
drinking a little water, he said, "I shall soon 
drink of the water of life." Mr. Pitman then 
read and expounded a part of the fourteenth 
chapter of John, referring to the mansions pre- 
pared for the righteous. Tupe said, "Ere long 
I shall be taken to mine, and shall see the King 
in his beauty." His missionary enquired, what 
he should say for him to the Church. He said, 
" Tell the Church to hold fast, and be diligent for 
God. Tell the deacons to be strong in the Lord, 
and active in his cause." Then, with his dying 
breath, he said to his missionary, to whom he was 
most sincerely attached, " Aua koe e taitaia — Be 
not cast down." Soon after this, his happy spirit 



MERETU, A NATIVE PREACHER. 



13 



took its flight to one of those heavenly mansions, 
concerning which he had just been conversing. 

Meretu, a native of Rarotonga, was formerly an 
idolater and a cannibal, but is now a faithful and 
successful preacher of the gospel. Tuaivi, the 
father of Meretu, had been enjoined by his father 
to take revenge on a certain family who had killed 
some of his relatives. Such an injunction the 
natives considered binding ; and that it might not 
be forgotten, they were in the habit of puncturing 
certain marks in their throat and other parts of 
the body. If the person, or persons, escaped dur- 
ing his lifetime, the same injunction was given to 
his children at his death • thus it was handed down 
from generation to generation, until the lust of* 
revenge was satiated. Tuaivi, having received his 
dying father's charge, narrowly watched the fa- 
mily, of whom there had been ten, but five had 
died. One day, coming upon the family, he seized 
them all, with the exception of a daughter, who 
escaped, slew them, put the bodies together into 
one oven, and, along with his son Meretu and 
other relatives and friends, feasted upon them with 
heathenish triumph. 

c 



14 



MERETU, A NATIVE PREACHER. 



Soon after this, the gospel was carried to those 
shores. Meretu received the truth, and experi- 
enced its transforming influence. He soon gave 
evidence, not only of a thorough change of heart, 
but also that he was a young man of no ordinary 
talents. Mr. Pitman took him under special in- 
struction, with a view of qualifying him for future 
usefulness. He has for some years been Mr. 
Pitman's assistant, preaching with simplicity, fide- 
lity, and success, "the glorious Gospel of the 
blessed God." He is now labouring efficiently, 
and with great acceptance, on a neighbouring 
island, Mangaia. Mr. Pitman, speaking of him, 
says, " Meretu, the son of Tuaivi, has been several 
years my assistant in preaching the gospel to his 
countrymen, and his labours are favoured with 
much acceptance, and very great success. He is 
an active, diligent, and intelligent man. Upwards 
of thirty individuals have stated to me that they 
were first seriously impressed under his discourses." 
In reference to Tuaivi, the father, the missionary 
writes, " I have every reason to believe the old 
man lived to experience the saving efficacy of Di- 
vine grace, and died resting upon the Lord Jesus 
Christ as his atoning sacrifice. I visited him con- 



TAUSAGA OF TUTUILA. 



15 



stantly during his illness, and the evidences he 
gave of an interest in the blessings of redemption 
were truly satisfactory. During his life, no one 
rendered us greater assistance, nor was any indi- 
vidual more active than he in promoting that 
which was good. He was always ready to assist 
in any work of usefulness, such as erecting cha- 
pels, school-houses, &c, and was observed to be 
the first and last upon the spot. His death was 
greatly felt, and deeply lamented/' 

The Rev. A. W. Murray, labouring on Tutuila, 
one of the Navigators' Islands, says, " Among our 
members are several individuals who afford strik- 
ing illustration of the power of the blessed gospel 
to subdue and transform the vilest and most har- 
dened of mankind. One man, named Tausaga, 
who formerly lived on Aunuu, a small island close 
to Tutuila, but who now lives here for the sake of 
the gospel, was notoriously wicked- — the terror of 
the place where he lived — the originator of wars — 
the fomenter of quarrels — the murderer of not a 
few, and the perpetrator of almost every species of 
wickedness. At our last church-meeting this per- 
son, who affords very unequivocal evidence that he 
has been created anew, was received into fellow- 



16 



TAULAGI OF TUTUILA. 



ship. It was a most interesting occasion. Almost 
all present had known him in his former charac- 
ter, and were deeply affected by the wonderful 
change that had been produced; affected with won- 
der and admiration at what God had wrought ; and 
they rejoiced to welcome into their fellowship this 
' brand plucked out of the burning/ To myself, 
also, it was deeply interesting and impressive to 
see with my own eyes those who so lately were hat- 
ing and murdering one another, weeping tears of 
joy 'over one sinner who had repented/ If there 
be joy in heaven at the repentance of one sinner 
in ordinary circumstances, with what emotion must 
the inhabitants of that blessed world have wit- 
nessed this scene ! 

" The case of another individual, named Tau- 
lagi, well deserves notice. The description given 
above applies pretty accurately to him, only he has 
been more extensively known, and has carried on 
his deeds of darkness on a more extensive scale. 
He is superior to Tausaga in point of talent, and 
is a much younger man. He is now a teacher, and 
will, I trust, soon be an efficient preacher of the 
blessed gospel. Thus powerfully is the arm of the 
Lord revealed in this distant land \ revealed in such 



QUEEN OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 17 



a way as to arrest the attention of the very hea- 
then, and draw from them the acknowledgment 
that it must be the power of God, as nothing else 
could produce such effects." 

Keopuolani, late Queen of the Sandwich Islands, 
affords another delightful specimen of the power 
of the gospel. While in her heathen state, she 
was considered particularly sacred. At certain 
seasons no persons were allowed to see her. In 
early life she never walked out except in the even- 
ins:, and all who saw her walking at that hour 
prostrated themselves to the earth. Vancouver, 
in his Voyages, relates a circumstance which cor- 
roborates these remarks. Describing a Hura (danc- 
ing and singing) which he attended, he says, "The 
piece was in honour of a captive Princess (Keopuo- 
lani), and on her name being pronounced, every 
one present, men as well as women, who wore any 
ornament above their waist, were obliged to take 
them off, though the captive lady was at least sixty 
miles off. This mark of respect was unobserved 
by the actresses who engaged in the services, but 
the instant any one sat down, or at the close of the 
act, they were also obliged to comply with this 
mysterious ceremony. " 



18 QUEEN OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



About the year 1806 Keopuolani was taken ill, 
and fears were entertained that she would not re- 
cover. A Priest was consulted, who immediately 
pretended to tell the cause of her sickness. He had 
just heard of some men, who had been eating cocoa- 
nuts, and had thereby broken the tabu; for in those 
days cocoa-nuts were prohibited to all common 
people. The Priest said, " that as Keopuolani was 
descended from the gods, they were offended with 
the mem and had afflicted her with a sickness, from 
which she would never recover unless the men were 
offered in sacrifice/' 

According to the advice of the Priest, orders 
were immediately given by Tamehamcha (the King) 
that ten men should be taken. The orders were 
obeyed, and the men quickly obtained. Before the 
time appointed for offering them arrived, the alarm- 
ing symptoms of Keopuolani' s disorder abated, and 
confident hopes of her recovery were entertained. 
Seven of the intended victims were consequently 
unbound, but the other three were slain and laid 
upon the altar, which had before often been stained 
with the blood of human victims. 

In 1820 the American missionaries arrived at 
the Sandwich Islands. Keopuolani paid but little 



QUEEN OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 19 

attention to instruction for the first two years. 
Soon after this she was visited with a protracted 
illness, which led her to think seriously about a 
future state. In February 1823, she and her hus- 
band expressed a desire to have an instructor at- 
tached to their family, not merely to teach them 
to read and write, but also as chaplain to conduct 
their family devotions, and instruct them in the 
doctrines of Christianity. They selected Taua, a 
native teacher from Huahine, one of the Society 
Islands. With them he resided, and diligently 
communicated instruction until the death of Keo- 
puolani. The missionaries, speaking of Taua, say, 
" He proved a faithful teacher, and by the blessing 
of God, we believe, he did much to establish her in 
the Christian faith. " 

One morning, when confined to her couch, with 
many of the chiefs and people about her, she said 
to them, " I wish you all either to retire or to be 
silent, for I desire to pray to Jesus Christ, and 
must have no interruption." 

At another time, during the same illness, one of 
the principal chiefs came to her and said, " Let us 
two drink rum together again as formerly. Enough 
of this new word. Let us cast it away, and attend 



20 QUE EX OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



to it no more/'' Keopuolani replied, H I will never 
adopt that evil custom. I am afraid of the ever- 
lasting fire." She then turned to Taua and said, 
" My heart is much afraid I shall never become a 
Christian." He replied, " Why, what was in the 
way ?" She said, " I think I am likely to die 
soon." He replied, " Do you not love God V 
She answered, " yes, I love — I love him very 
much." Taua then communicated further instruc- 
tion suited to her case. At the close of the con- 
versation, she said, " Your word, I know, is true. 
It is a good word; and now I have found I have ob- 
tained a Saviour, and a good King, Jesus Christ." 

It was customary for females of high rank to 
have a plurality of husbands. Having nearly re- 
covered from her illness, she anxiously inquired of 
her teacher what she ought to do, as she had two 
husbands. He answered, " Christian females never 
have more than one husband." She said, " I have 
followed the custom of my country ; but we have 
been a people of dark hearts. I have had two hus- 
bands • but since I thought it wrong, I have not 
desired more than one. I wish now to obey Jesus 
Christ, and to walk in the good way. Hoapiri is 
my husband, my only husband. The other man 



QUEEN OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 21 



I will now cast off." She then called him and said, 
" I have renounced our old religion, the religion of 
wooden gods ; I have embraced a new religion, the 
religion of Jesus Christ. He is my King and Sa- 
viour, and him I desire to obey. Hereafter I must 
have one husband only. I wish you to live with 
me no longer. In future you must neither eat 
with my people, nor lodge in my house. " 

She was diligent in searching for divine truth, 
and reflected seriously upon the things which she 
heard and read. One day Mr. Stewart called on 
her, and found her reclining on her settee, appa- 
rently in deep thought, and giving no attention 
to any thing about her. He heard a number of 
exclamations in her own language, accompanied 
with expressive gestures, as though she were in 
distress. Her exclamations were, " the punish- 
ments of wicked men ! They will cry for water ; 
yes, they will cry for water ; but there will be 
no water, none at all, not even, a drop for their 
tongues." 

When conversing about the guilt of her ances- 
tors, who worshipped idols, she said, " The great 
guilt is ours, who know the good way, but do not 
walk in it." 



22 QUEEN OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



Keopuolani was exceedingly grieved when she 
saw any, who had formerly professed to be con- 
cerned about their salvation, become careless and 
indifferent, and she embraced suitable opportuni- 
ties to administer gentle reproof and affectionate 
admonition. One Sabbath evening she said to a 
chief, who had disregarded the day, " You and I 
have each of us our Christian teacher. You for- 
merly told me, that I must observe the new reli- 
gion, and keep the Sabbath. I have done so, but 
you neglect it. You do not love prayer; you do 
not love the good way, nor walk in it. My heart 
is sorry for you, and on your account I often weep 
alone." 

In August 1823 she was taken seriously ill, 
and on the 16th of September fell asleep in 
Jesus. 

When chiefs died, their bodies were cut in 
pieces, the flesh burnt, and the bones preserved : 
these were committed to the care of some chief, 
and, during his life, were venerated, and worship- 
ped. When the chief died who had the charge of 
the bones, they were secretly conveyed to some 
unknown place, and nothing more was heard of 
them. In some rare cases they were preserved 



HEATHEN CUSTOMS PROHIBITED. 23 

for two generations. The prevalence of this prac- 
tice will account for the following charge which 
Keopuolani gave to Karaimoku respecting her re- 
mains. " Great is my love to the word of God, 
by which I hope my mind has been enlightened. 
The word of God is a true word, a good word. 
Jehovah is a good God : I love him, and love 
Jesus Christ. I have no desire for the former 
gods of Hawaii : they are all false. But I love 
Jesus Christ. I have given myself to him to be 
his. When I die, let none of the evil customs of 
this country be practised at my death. Let not 
my body be disturbed. Let not my bones be se- 
parated and the flesh taken off, as in the days of 
dark hearts ; but let my body be put in a coffin. 
Let the teachers attend, and speak to the people 
at my interment. Let me be buried in the ground, 
and let my burial be after the manner of Christ's 
people." 

The evil customs of which Keopuolani spoke 
were of the most criminal kind. It had, from 
time immemorial, been the practice, at the death 
of high chiefs, for all the people to indulge with 
impunity, and without restraint, in every kind of 
wickedness. They threw off the little clothing 



24 HEATHEN CUSTOMS PROHIBITED. 



which they usually wore, and ran about like mad- 
men. No one was protected from the most open 
assault. A man might steal with impunity. 
Neighbours, who were at enmity, might take 
revenge in any way they pleased. It was no 
crime for a man to burn his neighbour's house, 
put out his eyes, take his life, or that of any of 
his family. Promiscuous lewdness prevailed ex- 
tensively. Knocking out each other's teeth was a 
common and almost universal practice, during the 
days of mourning. If a man did not lose any of 
his teeth by the violence of another, he would, 
with a sharp-pointed stone, dig them out himself ; 
for it was considered a disgrace to any man not to 
lose some teeth at the death of a high chief. 

It was the universal opinion that chiefs usually 
died by poison, sorcery, or the prayers of the 
priests. It was believed, that if a priest could 
obtain the spittle of any person, he could then 
succeed in praying him to death. For this reason 
every chief had an attendant following him with a 
box to receive his spittle, lest a priest should get 
it and pray him to death. 

Keopuolani, knowing these things, said to Kee- 
aumoku, one of the governors, " When I am dead, 



KEOPUOLANl's REGARD FOR HER CHILDREN. 25 

let it never be said that I died by poison, by sor- 
cery, or that I was prayed to death, for it was not 
so." 

A few days before her death, she called her 
husband, and said to him, " See that you take 
good care of Nahienaena (her young daughter). 
See that she is instructed in reading and writing, 
that she may learn to love God and Jesus Christ. 
Do not be weary in your attention to her, for it 
is a good thing for her to learn the good way. 

" Take care of my people when I am dead. Be 
a friend to them, and watch over their interests 
with compassionate regard. After I am dead, do 
not you cast away the word of God, or the Sab- 
bath-day. Neglect not prayer, neither cease to 
love Jehovah, that he may love you, and that we 
two may meet in heaven. I think a great deal of 
my sins and of the love of Jesus Christ. He is 
very kind to me. I hope he will take me to his 
right hand." 

The day before her death she conversed with 
Karaimoku respecting her children. She said, 
" I wish much that my two children, Kauikeouli 
and Nahienaena, should know God, should serve 
him, and be instructed in Christianity. I wish 

D 



26 HER ADVICE TO THE CHIEFS. 

you to take care of these my two children. See 
that they walk in the right way. Counsel them. 
Let them not associate with bad companions." 
She then added, " And do you not neglect pray- 
ing to God. Cease not to regard the Sabbath. 
Commit no sin, and love Jesus Christ, that we 
two may meet in heaven." 

A considerable number of the principal chiefs 
being present, she said to them in a most impres- 
sive manner, "Protect the teachers who have 
come to this land of dark hearts. Attend to their 
instructions. Cease not to keep the command- 
ments of God, to love him, to obey his word, to 
regard the Sabbath, and all the means of instruc- 
tion, and do not neglect prayer to God. He is a 
good God. Our former gods were false, but he 
is the God by whom we may all live for ever in 
heaven. I love Jesus Christ. I hope he has 
loved me, and that he will receive me."* 

The next morning she conversed a little with 
her teacher, and in the evening entered into the 
joy of her Lord. 

Were it necessary, we might proceed to the 

* Memoir of Keopuolani. 



EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL, 



27 



Friendly Islands, the Fijii group, and New Zea- 
land, and at each place find many individuals in 
whom the same delightful change has been ef- 
fected. A sufficient number has already been 
introduced to encourage the friends of Zion, and 
to stimulate them to increased exertions for the 
conversion of the heathen to Christ, 



28 



CHAPTER II. 

Delightful change in Families. — The former degraded Condition 
of the Females. — Infanticide. — Dedication of Children to Oro, 
the God of War, and to Hiro, the God of Thieves. — The 
Cruelty of Children to their aged Parents. — The barbarous 
conduct of Tanoa, a Fijian Chief. — A Family under the influ- 
ence of the Gospel. — Husband and Wife enjoy equal Privileges. 
— Children are dedicated to the true God. — Family Prayer. — 
Future Prospects. 

The same glorious effects of the gospel may be 
seen in families. It is difficult to find language 
fully to describe the former wretched condition of 
heathen families. The females were sunk to the 
lowest depths of degradation, and treated as though 
they were no better than the brute beasts of the 
forest. They were not allowed to wear the same 
kind of cloth, nor to eat the same kind of food 
as their husbands. They dared not set their feet 
on those portions of the land which were con- 
sidered sacred. They had to labour like slaves. 
On many of the islands the females had to plant 
the taro, the yams, and other vegetables; they 
had to get the fire-wood, fetch the water, cook 



INFANTICIDE. 



29 



the food, and literally to feed their lazy husbands. 
The man would be seated on a mat, leaning a 
little backwards, when the wife would put the 
food into his mouth just as fast as he opened it 
to receive it. At the Fijiis, it has been cus- 
tomary, on the death of a chief of high rank, to 
strangle several of his principal wives, professedly 
that he might still enjoy their society. It was 
common for one chief to have from thirty to forty 
wives. The least offence given by one of these 
women to her lordly husband, was sufficient to 
secure her a place in the oven; when he and his 
party would feast upon her body. The female 
slaves or secondary wives were sometimes put to 
death for the most trivial, or even imaginary 
crime. Not unfrequently were they bartered for 
a small chest, or an old musket. At Tahiti, more 
than two-thirds of the children were destroyed as 
soon as they were born, either by their own 
mothers, or by the hands of those whose trade it 
was to practise infanticide. Those children that 
were spared, if girls, were doomed to drag out a 
most miserable existence, in little better than 
abject slavery ; if boys, they were dedicated either 
to Oro, the god of war, or to Hiro, the god of 



80 CRUELTY OF CHILDREN TO PARENTS. 



thieves. It was the highest ambition of a heathen 
mother's heart, that her son should become, either 
a great warrior, or a dexterous thief. 

Parents frequently experienced the most cruel 
treatment from their children. Many of them 
having become helpless by the infirmities of old 
age, have been forsaken by their own sons and 
daughters, and have perished from want \ and not 
unfrequently have they been buried alive. A 
young man would take in his arms an aged father 
and carry him towards a river, professedly to bathe 
him, but on his way thither would throw him into 
a hole dug for the purpose, and thus the son, with- 
out natural affection, would bury alive his own fa- 
ther, that he might no longer be a trouble to the 
family. In another place, the ponderous club of 
an ambitious son would cleave the skull of his 
aged parent. The parricide's apology for his crime 
was, the infirmity of the father ! His reason for 
striking the blow,, without any previous warning, 
was, the affection of the son ! 

When Tanoa, the most influential chief in the 
Fijii group, was a young man, he, on one occasion, 
became incensed against his cousin Motelutu, who 
had been guilty of an offence more imaginary than 



BARBAROUS CONDUCT OF TAXOA. 31 



real, and threatened to punish the delinquent with 
death. Motelutu, knowing the implacability of 
Tanoa^s resentment, sought safety in night. The 
enraged chief assembled a few of his followers, and 
pursued the fugitive. He at length overtook him 
in a distant island. Motelutu endeavoured to pro- 
long his life for a time, and sheltered himself 
amidst the branches of a tree. Tanoa caused his 
adherents to surround the tree, that his escape 
might be impossible. The cousin, seeing death 
inevitable, descended, and, sitting down upon the 
ground, endeavoured, by his tears and entreaties, 
to obtain pardon from his relative. But Tanoa 
was determined that the life of Motelutu should 
atone for his error. He took in his hand a por- 
tion of a bamboo cane, formerly used as a substi- 
tute for a knife, and having impressed on the face 
of his weeping, trembling cousin a farewell kiss, 
deliberately cut off his arm by the elbow, and 
stooping down, drank the blood from the flowing 
veins. He threw the amputated limb, still quiver- 
ing with life, into a fire prepared for the occasion, 
and after roasting it, devoured its flesh in the pre- 
sence of its owner. He then mangled the body of 
his cousin, by cutting it limb from limb, until his 



32 INFLUENCES OF THE GOSPEL. 

victim expired in awful agony. Are not the 
dark places of the earth full of the habitations of 
cruelty ? 

How changed the condition of those families 
that are under the influence of the gospel ! The 
head of the family is now clothed, and in his right 
mind. He is now r "the husband of one wife/' 
The wife is no longer separated from her husband 
by superstitious observances. We see her neatly 
clad in modest attire, sitting by the side of him, 
who loves and protects her. She enjoys equal pri- 
vileges with her husband, shares in his sorrows, 
and participates in his joys. We behold parents, 
surrounded by their offspring, ready to minister to 
their wants. They now appear as a happy family, 
enjoying the blessings of social life. The children 
are the objects of parental solicitude ; and instead 
of being murdered, or dedicated, by a heathen 
Priest, to the god of war, or of thieves, they are 
carried to the Christian sanctuary, and by the 
Missionary of the Cross are solemnly dedicated to 
the one living and true God. When old enough, 
they are daily taught in the Mission School, and 
by the instructions there received, are qualified for 
important stations in life. On the Sabbath you 



FAMILY PRAYER. 



33 



may see parents and children making a respectable 
appearance in the house of God, and listening with 
serious attention to the truths of the gospel, as 
they fall from the lips of the preacher. During 
the intervals of worship, you will find the various 
members of the family conversing together about 
what they have heard in the house of God. Mr. 
Pitman, speaking of visiting the sick between the 
services on the Sabbath, observes, " I saw a group 
of individuals, in the midst of whom was a little 
boy belonging to the school, asking them questions 
from the Catechism, to which they replied." 
Morning and evening, not merely on the Sab- 
bath, as is the case in many families in Britain, 
but every day, you may see them bowing at the 
family altar, and hear them pouring out their 
supplications for blessings to descend upon every 
individual member of the family, upon their neigh- 
bours, their missionary, the Church and congre- 
gation, and upon the poor benighted heathen. 
Instead of associating with the rabble, and spend- 
ing their time in rioting, drunkenness, and the 
worst of vices, they are now found in their own 
neat little cottages, busily engaged in their vari- 
ous avocations. They no longer indulge in ob- 



34 



FUTURE PROSPECTS. 



scene and filthy conversation as formerly. Spiri- 
tual subjects now occupy their thoughts and em- 
ploy their tongues, Referring to the love of God 
in compassionating them in their formerly de- 
graded condition, and raising them to the enjoy- 
ment of their present privileges, they may be heard 
saying one to another, " Behold, what manner of 
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that ice 
should be called the sons of God/" And then, as 
though enraptured with their future prospects, 
they add, " Beloved, now are we the sons of God, 
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but 
we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be 
like him ; for we shall see him as he is." 



35 



CHAPTER III. 

The Change produced by the Gospel on Communities. — Former 
cruel Customs. — A Conversational Meeting. — Natives describe 
their changed Condition. — State of the Samoans when visited by 
the Messenger of Peace.' — Natives burnt alive. — Cannibalism. — 
Arrival of Missionaries. — The first Missionary Meeting at the 
Samoas. — Trials and Pleasures of Missionaries. — Past and Pre- 
sent State contrasted. — No more War. — Cannibalism at the 
Fijiis. — Humane conduct of a Captain. — Effects of Perseverance. 
— Destruction of Idols. — The present happy Condition of the 
Natives. 

The effects of the gospel upon them as commu- 
nities are equally apparent and glorious. It is 
by contrast that we shall best see the mighty 
change which has been produced ; we must there- 
fore just glance at their former character and 
condition. To form a correct idea of the horrid 
practices of the heathen, you must see their 
frantic gestures, hear their hideous bowlings, 
follow them to the camp of war, witness their 
licentious proceedings, behold their demon-like 
objects of worship, and see their altars stained 
with human blood. I have seen a large extent 
of ground, where heathen temples formerly stood, 



36 



FORMER CRt'EL CUSTOMS. 



literally strewed with human bones from the 
numerous sacrifices which had there been offered 
to propitiate the gods. Think of the almost 
incredible number of infants hurried into eternity 
the moment they were born. Let me point you 
to a company, where you may see them with a 
kind of fiend-like ferocity, gorging themselves 
with human flesh, feasting upon the bodies of the 
slain and the captives taken in war. I might show 
you, suspended in the air, on the point of the 
warrior's spear, children writhing in the agonies 
of death. Were I to conduct you to their licen- 
tious dance, you would witness scenes too debasing, 
too abominable for language to describe. Pass a 
little further and you may see the mutilated 
fingers and the lacerated bodies of those who are 
endeavouring, by the effusion of their own blood, 
to appease the anger of the gods, who, they sup- 
pose, have in anger taken from them a relative or 
friend by the hand of death. 

It must appear evident to every unprejudiced 
mind, that the poor heathen, prior to their recep- 
tion of the gospel, were the slaves of Satan and 
led captive by the devil at his will. But what is 
their present condition, where they have been 



FORMER CRUEL CUSTOMS. 



37 



favoured with that gospel which proclaims liberty 
to the captives, and have felt its transforming 
power ? The Tahitians no longer imbrue their 
hands in human blood to appease the anger of their 
offended deities and procure their favour. The 
Tonguese have abandoned the practice of chop- 
ping off joint after joint of their little fingers when 
any trifling calamity befals them. The Sandwich 
Islanders have ceased to carry their property 
to a Pagan priest to secure his services to prevent 
certain imaginary evils threatened by the gods. 
These formerly degraded heathen have turned 
"from idols to serve the living and true God." 
They have applied, by faith to the Lamb of God. 
which taketh away the sins of the world. They 
are now looking to Jesus for deliverance from the 
wrath to come. They are resting upon that great 
sacrifice offered on Calvary, and are reconciled 
unto God by the blood of the Cross. Hence they 
now enjoy the divine favour, share in the blessings 
of the new covenant, and have a good hope, 
through grace, of a glorious immortality. 

I shall not soon forget what I heard fall from 
the lips of some Tahitians at one of their meet- 
ings. They usually meet each Friday afternoon 



38 



A CONVERSATIONAL MEETING. 



for prayer and conference on subjects relative to 
their eternal welfare. At these meetings the 
missionary presides. He calls upon one of the 
natives to give out a hymn and engage in prayer. 
He then gives a short exhortation, which he con- 
cludes by asking some question, to which they are 
expected to reply. The question proposed on that 
occasion was, " What benefits do you enjoy in 
consequence of having been favoured with the 
gospel of Christ V There was no lack of speakers 
that afternoon. One referred to their former 
cruel practices, and showed that the gospel had 
produced a kind and merciful disposition; that 
their minds were now shocked at the thought of 
the horrid deeds which they had perpetrated with 
fiendish delight while in their heathen state. 
Another, referring to their numerous wars, said, 
formerly their feet were swift to shed blood, but 
now they were enjoying the blessings of peace ; 
that, prior to the coming of the gospel, they 
dared not venture from one district to another 
without being well armed; but now they could 
go safely wherever they please. By another, refer- 
ence was made to the number of human victims 
formerly offered to propitiate their gods, but the 



STATE OF THE SAMOANS. 



39 



gospel has taught them to rely upon that sacrifice 
which God had provided, with a full assurance 
that the precious blood of Christ possessed suffi- 
cient efficacy to atone for their transgressions, 
and cleanse them from all sin. It was truly de- 
lightful to hear them endeavouring to enumerate 
the temporal and spiritual blessings, which, as a 
Christian community, they now enjoy. 

In 1830, when Messrs. Williams and Barff 
visited the Samoans, to attempt the introduc- 
tion of the gospel, by placing native teachers on 
those islands, they found them engaged in war. 
From the deck of the vessel they saw fire and 
smoke ascending from Aana, a certain district on 
Upolu, where the parties were then contending, 
carrying devastation and death in every direction. 
But what was the name and character of that ves- 
sel which was now visiting those blood-stained 
shores ? Her name was, (e The Messenger of 
Peace" She had on board Messengers of Peace, 
who were about to hazard their lives in publishing 
to the Samoans the Gospel of Peace, After en- 
during many hardships, and being frequently ex- 
posed to great peril, these pioneers in the mis- 
sionary field succeeded, and from that time to this 



40 



NATIVES BURNT ALIVE. 



those islanders have enjoyed the blessings of 
Peace. 

The Aana people, after maintaining repeated 
and desperate struggles for eight months, were 
obliged to submit. Some were saved through the 
influence of their family connexions, but several 
hundreds suffered death by being cruelly burnt 
alive ! The natives say, that more than 400, in- 
cluding many of the aged, the females and the 
children, were sacrificed at the shrine of vengeance. 
Some of the men were allowed the privilege of 
first being killed. While these poor defenceless 
creatures were thrown into the flames, their vic- 
tors stood around to enjoy the spectacle. 

During that war several human victims, chiefly 
boys, were baked and eaten like hogs. Most of 
the surviving Aana men were distributed as pri- 
soners in various parts. Those of two districts 
were allowed, in a short time, to resume their 
lands, but the greater part remained in banish- 
ment until after the arrival of the missionaries 
sent out by the London Missionary Society in 
1836. These missionaries called together a few 
of the chiefs, who had from the first received and 
countenanced the native teachers, and expressed 



AANA PEOPLE RESTORED. 



41 



their earnest wish that war should not be re- 
newed. They were immediately assured that it 
should not. Malietoa, the most powerful chief 
on the islands, proposed to the other chiefs that 
the Aana people should be restored. In about 
eighteen months after the decree for their restora- 
tion had been passed, upwards of three thousand 
had returned and were busily engaged in rebuild- 
ing their villages and cultivating their plantations. 
When these were driven into exile they were 
heathens, but nine-tenths of them returned pro- 
fessing Christians. It so happened that most of 
them had resided near one or other of the teachers, 
and some having learned to read and pray in 
public, they no sooner returned than they com- 
menced the worship of God on the very spot 
where, before the war, " Satan's seat was/'' Eight 
or nine flourishing villages soon re-appeared, 
where, a few months before, scarcely a hut was 
to be seen. Each village has one or more schools, 
and divine worship is held on Sabbaths, Wednes- 
days, and Fridays. Near the spot on which the 
war was terminated, by committing hundreds of 
living victims to the flames, the lamented mission- 
ary Williams had the gratification of preaching 



4.2 



FIRST MISSIONARY MEETING. 



the gospel to congregations of five or six hundred 
people. 

Within a few miles of this place, lie all that 
now remains of that excellent man and his fellow- 
traveller, Mr. Harris.* 

The first missionary meeting in Samoa was 
held in one of the districts of Aana, in 1837. It 
was attended by two thousand five hundred peo- 
ple, and was altogether highly interesting. The 
conquerors and the conquered mingled together, 
and some of each party delivered speeches on the 
occasion, in which, while they did not forget the 
main object of the meeting, they severally made 

* When the Camden arrived at Sydney with the mournful 
intelligence of the death of Williams and Harris, His Excellency 
Sir George Gipps, kindly sent H. B. M. sloop, " Favourite," Captain 
Croaker, to Eromanga, to procure, if possible, what might be re- 
gaining of these two excellent men. 

Captain Croaker succeeded in obtaining three skulls with some 
other human bones. The skulls were, in all probability, those of 
Mr. Williams, Mr. Harris, and of another European, who had lost 
his life among those savages. The skull of Sir. Williams was 
recognized by its size and shape. It had on it two fractures, 
either of which would have occasioned instant insensibility, and 
probably death. All were interred at Apia, on Upolu, when 
when Mr. Heath delivered an impressive address to the weeping 
Samoans, several hundreds being present, and the Rev. C. Hardie, 
of Savaii, gave to the missionary brethren, and to the officers and 
crew of the " Favourite," a solemn warning to prepare to meet their 
God. 



TRIALS AND PLEASURES 0E MISSIONARIES. 43 



touching allusions to their former contests, and 
with them contrasted their present harmony. 

The Christian missionary, says Mr. Heath, is 
familiar with privations and anxieties and trials 
of his faith and patience ; but he has also plea- 
sures and gratifications, of which they who have 
not tasted them can form but very inadequate 
conceptions. Let the reader imagine himself 
walking through these villages, just springing 
into life again from their ashes, and at distances 
of every one or two miles, preaching " the liberty 
with which Christ maketh free" to listening- 
hundreds ; let him imagine himself presenting 
to these villages, in succession, native teachers, 
able to read and to teach the word of God, and 
to conduct public worship ; let him suppose 
that these teachers have been raised up from 
among this very people, and that, on going to 
this new employment, they are accompanied by 
some of the very chiefs who so lately assisted to 
ruin their land. He hears the chief, who now 
possesses the government, thank God that he no 
longer comes for his former purposes of plunder ; 
from the subdued party, he hears the exclamation, 
" Malie ! faa fetai i le Atua !" (It is well ; thank 



44 PLEASURES OF MISSIONARIES. 



God !) He walks into their schools, and there 
sees learning to read, at the same time, the father 
and the child, the grandfather and the grandchild. 
It may with propriety be called an "Infant 
School." One of the natives, who, while in his 
captivity, learned to write, presents him with a 
slate on which is accurately written the text from 
which the visitor preached on the preceding 
Sabbath. He is beset with beggars, but all they 
ask are books, slates, and pencils. Soon after 
the sun has set, he hears the voice of prayer and 
praise in all the cottages around him, and calls 
to mind how different it is from the noise and 
wickedness of the naked night dances, by which 
at some village, still heathen, he has not long 
before been deprived of sleep. Let the reader 
imagine himself thus received — thus employed — 
and then say whether the mere comforts of staying 
in England are worthy to be set against such 
luxuries as these. Let him say whether the 
faithful labourer, in the field of missions, does 
not receive a glorious reward. 

Mr. Murray, writing from Tutuila, says, " The 
hostile feeling so long manifested between the 
district of Pagopago and Leone has in a great 



PAST AND PRESENT STATE CONTRASTED. 45 

measure ceased, and uninterrupted peace has 
subsisted between them since the commencement 
of the mission. When persons belonging to these 
districts now meet, they appear to strive who shall 
manifest most affection and respect to the other ; 
and often do I listen, with feelings which no 
language can describe, to the affecting allusions 
they make to by-gone days, and the touching con- 
trasts which they draw between the reign of dark- 
ness, cruelty, and death, and that kingdom of 
light and life before which the powers of hell 
totter and fall, and all their dark and gloomy 
hosts retire, to give place to a train of blessings 
whose happy aspect proves their origin divine." 

It is not now uncommon to hear from the 
Samoans, such remarks as the following, " Happy 
are we of this generation; formerly we used to 
lie down at night with trembling hearts, saying, 
' Perhaps I shall be surprised before the morning 
by the club of my enemy/ Now we lie down 
without fear, and sleep in peace." Another will 
say, "How delightful are our meetings together 
now ; formerly when we met our hearts were full 
of envy, strife and anger, and we concerted 
measures for war and plunder ; now we meet in 



46 



ABANDONMENT OF WAR. 



love and peace, as one family, and worship the 
true God." It will be remarked by one who 
knows something of the spirit and power of the 
gospel, "What a delightful feeling is this com- 
passion which now fills our hearts ; formerly there 
was no compassion among us but that of the 
mouth; we uttered compassion with our mouth, 
while our hearts were full of hatred and murder, 
but now we know what true compassion is, and 
the great happiness which springs from it." 

Remarks such as these from Samoans, whose 
actions agree with their words, place in striking- 
contrast Samoa as it is now with what it was 
before the Sun of Righteousness arose upon it ; 
and beautifully illustrate and verify many of the 
glowing predictions of inspired truth. 

Among the many happy results which have 
flowed from the introduction of the gospel to these 
Islands, none is more remarkable than the aban- 
donment of war. The weapons of war and instru- 
ments of death are now seen stuck in the roof of 
their lowly huts, covereu with dust and going to 
decay, or they are converted into implements of 
industry, or disposed of to visitors, as articles of 
curiosity no longer necessary. 



EFFECTS OF THE GOSPEL. 



47 



It is impossible to contemplate the glorious 
change which the gospel has effected on these 
degraded heathen without exclaiming, "What 
hath God wrought ? " Formerly with trembling 
anxiety, they offered their numerous sacrifices on 
their pagan altars ; now they joy in God, through 
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom they have 
received the atonement. Their minds were then 
filled with slavish fear dreading the anger of the 
gods ; now they enjoy His favour, which is life, and 
His loving kindness, which is better than life. 
Instead of fleeing to the mountains to save them- 
selves from impending destruction, they have fled 
to Jesus Christ for refuge to save them from the 
wrath to come. Their licentious odes, chaunted in 
honour of the gods, have been exchanged for the 
u Songs of Zion/'' Many who formerly seldom 
met but in the camp of war, full of enmity 
towards each other, and earnestly desiring to 
transfix their spears in each other's breasts, now 
meet in peace at the foot of the Cross and recog- 
nize each other as brethren in Christ. Prior to 
the reception of the gospel they delighted to 
imbrue their hands in each other's blood ; but now 
bound together by the cords of Christian love, 



48 



CANNIBALISM. 



they unite at the table of the Lord, to behold, 
with the eye of faith, the Saviour's body pierced 
for their transgressions, and his blood shed for 
the remission of their sins. 

When the Wesleyan missionaries ventured 
among the cannibal Fijians, they found them 
sunk to the lowest depths of degradation. Soon 
after Mr. Hunt had settled on Somasoma, the 
heathen party brought several dead bodies and 
laid them opposite to Mr. Hunt's house ; there 
they baked them, and there they eat them. The 
missionary, shocked at these proceedings, closed 
his door and blinds. One of the heathen chiefs 
went to Mr. Hunt and insisted upon his opening 
them again, and intimated that if he thought 
proper to reside in their country, he must put up 
with their customs ; if he insulted them in any 
way he might expect to have a place in the oven. 
An American ship of war was at anchor at a 
neighbouring island. When the captain heard of 
this circumstance, he took up his anchor and 
sailed to Somasoma, with a view of removing Mr. 
Hunt and family to some other island where they 
would not be exposed to such imminent danger. 
Mr. Hunt thanked the captain for his kind and 



EFFECTS OF PERSEVERANCE. 



49 



humane conduct in thus coming to remove him, 
but begged respectfully to decline accepting his 
kind offer, stating that he was willing still to 
hazard his life in the cause of Christ. He 
considered the circumstance of their being so 
exceedingly depraved as an additional reason for 
remaining to diffuse that gospel, which, accom- 
panied with the Divine blessing, would soon 
improve their condition. What has been the 
result ? Great success has attended the labours 
of this devoted missionary and those of his breth- 
ren. Many of these desperate savages have not 
only given up their abominable practices, but 
have been converted to God. There are now 
between four and five thousand of these formerly 
cruel, licentious, cannibal Fijians under Christian 
instruction and participating in the blessings of 
our a Common Salvation/ 5 

The numerous idols of the Polynesians fall 
before the gospel, like Dagon before the Ark. 
No sooner does light break in upon the mind of 
a benighted heathen, than he despises those con- 
temptible objects which he and his forefathers 
have been accustomed to venerate and adore. He 
can no longer bow the knee to blocks of wood 

F 



50 



DESTRUCTION OF IDOLS. 



and stone, but casts them to the moles and the 
bats, and openly professes himself a worshipper of 
the true God, No language can describe what 
those devoted men, who had been labouring fif- 
teen years on Tahiti without any apparent success, 
felt, when they saw the first idols that were de- 
stroyed in the South Seas committed to the 
flames. Pati, the native who had the courage 
thus to give the first blow to that system of idola- 
try which at that time seemed to be interwoven 
with their very existence, was a heathen priest, 
but has become a faithful preacher of the gospel, 
on Eaivavai, with several schools and four congre- 
gations under his charge. 

The temple, to which these idols belonged, and 
of which Pati was a priest, was soon afterwards 
demolished, and its large stones have been used 
in erecting a very neat and substantial place of 
worship, a sketch of which is on the opposite 
page. It is of an octagon shape, with a gallery 
all around, and is similar to Surrey Chapel, Lon- 
don, on a smaller scale. Considering the paucity 
of their tools, and their inexperience in stone- 
masonry and the European mode of building, it 
reflects great credit upon the natives, and stands 



52 



MR. WILLIAMS* VISIT. 



as a monument of their persevering zeal for the 
the Lord of Hosts. 

After the native teachers had been labouring 
on Rurutu the short space of twelve months, not 
a vestige of idolatry was to be seen, and not a god 
was to be found in the island. Only a short 
time had elapsed, after the introduction of the 
gospel to Rarotonga, when the idols were brought 
from the various parts of the island and laid down 
at the missionary's feet. 

Mr. Williams having placed native teachers on 
Aitutaki, revisited that island in little more than 
a year after, to see how these humble labourers 
had succeeded. While in the offing, a large 
canoe came alongside and brought the pleasing 
intelligence, " that the rnaraes (heathen temples) 
were burnt ; that the idols which had escaped the 
general conflagration were in the possession of 
the teachers ; that the profession of Christianity 
was general, so much so that not a single idolater 
remained, and that a large chapel had been 
erected, nearly 200 feet in length, plastered, and 
waiting his arrival to open it." In that large and 
neatly-erected building, Mr. Williams unfurled 
the banner of the Cross, addressing the crowded 



HAPPINESS OF THE NATIVES. 



53 



audience from John iii. 16, "God so loved the 
world," &c. " It was indeed," says Mr. Williams, 
"a delightful sight to behold from 1500 to 2000 
people, just emerged from heathenism, of the 
most uncultivated appearance; some with long 
beards, others decorated with gaudy ornaments, 
but all behaving with the greatest decorum, and 
attending with glistening eyes and open mouth, 
to the wonderful story, that ' God so loved the 
world, as to give his only begotten Son/ " 

Could any labourer in the missionary field de- 
sire a richer reward than to see 2000 people, who, 
eighteen months before, were carrying their sacri- 
fices to the heathen temples and performing their 
polluted ceremonies to propitiate the gods which 
their own hands had made, now assembled in a 
Christian sanctuary, bending their knees in the 
worship of J ehovah, and listening with inexpres- 
sible delight to that gospel which had effected 
such a mighty change. 

In the great Pacific, nothing can be more evi- 
dent than the glorious effects of the gospel on 
individuals, families, and communities at large. 
Those faithful and devoted men, who have left the 
land of their fathers, and have become voluntary 



54 



MISSIONARY SUCCESS. 



exiles in foreign climes, that they might publish, 
to perishing savages, " the glorious gospel of the 
blessed God/' have already reaped a large reward. 
By their instrumentality, heathen temples have 
been converted into Christian sanctuaries — human 
sacrifices have given place to the great sacrifice 
offered on Calvary — Cannibalism has been ex- 
changed for rich feasts of gospel privileges — In- 
fanticide has been abandoned for maternal solici- 
tude and parental affection, and the slaves of 
Satan have become the children of God, by faith 
in Christ Jesus. 



55 



CHAPTER IV. 

Character of the Native Converts — Misrepresented by some Fo- 
reigners — Captain Fitzroy's Testimony. — Anxiety to possess 
the Word of God. — The first complete copy of the Bible. — A 
Box of Bibles broken open. — The Queen's Secretary, and his 
Bible. — They diligently search the Scriptures. — A Family sit- 
ting in the dark. — The Scriptures greatly valued. — Anxiety to 
understand the Scriptures. — Bible Classes. — Numerous Enqui- 
ries. — Visits to the Out-stations. — Great aptness in applying 
the Scriptures. — Noah's Ark. — The Prodigal Son. — The Water 
of Life. — Attachment to the Missionaries. — Their conduct on 
hearing of the death of Mr. T >Villiams. — The Missionary's Re- 
turn. — Letter to the Churches in Britain. — Attendance on the 
Means of Grace. — Correct Views of Divine Things. 

The native Christians generally possess much 
primitive simplicity, great docility of spirit, warm 
affections, and a lively disposition. They have 
many imperfections, as may be expected in a people 
just emerging from a state of heathenism. The 
inconsistent conduct of some professing godliness 
has, from time to time, deeply pained the hearts 
of those who have laboured among them. They 
give repeated proofs that human nature is the same 
in Polynesia as in all other parts of the world. 



56 NATIVE CHARACTER MISREPRESENTED. 

Considering their former character and customs, it 
ought not to be a matter of surprise that so many, 
but rather a source of joy that so few have acted 
inconsistently with their Christian profession. 

The character of these people has, in many in- 
stances, been grossly misrepresented both by Euro- 
peans and Americans. This has not in all cases 
arisen from ignorance of their true character, but 
from a deliberate determination to prejudice the 
minds of the public against missionary operations. 
These persons find, that in proportion to the pre- 
valence of Christian principles, their difficulty in- 
creases in carrying on their base practices. Some 
who visit these shores associate with the vilest cha- 
racters upon the Islands, such as may be found in 
all seaports, and on their return present these to 
the world as a specimen of the people at large. 
Such persons are about as well qualified to describe 
the character of professing Christians in Polynesia 
as foreigners visiting Liverpool, Portsmouth, or the 
port of London, for a few days, and associating 
with the worst of society, would be to give to their 
countrymen a correct account of the state of reli- 
gion and morals in Great Britain. 

We have, however, been favoured with the visits 



TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN FITZROY. 57 



of gentlemen, both from England and America, 
who may be considered as exceptions ; men of sin- 
cere piety, sound judgment, and unquestionable 
veracity, who have had opportunities of seeing 
these professing Christians in a variety of circum- 
stances, in which their real character has been 
developed. It may not be cut of place here to give 
the testimony of one of those gentlemen. Captain 
Fitzroy, of the Royal Navy, in his speech at Exeter 
Hall, before the London Missionary Society, said, 
" I feel that the cause, to promote which you 
are come here, demands the honest testimony of 
any man who has been in those countries of which 
you have lately heard, and who has seen the effects 
which have been there produced. A few months 
only have elapsed since I returned to my native 
land, from regions which are every day becoming 
more and more interesting;, and where the influ- 
ence of Christianity is hourly, we may say, chang- 
ing the very spirit of the inhabitants. In the 
islands of the South Seas which I visited, begin- 
ning, in the first place, with the Society Islands, 
as hung nearer, all those who were with me were 
astonished, as I was, to find such orderly, civil, 
cheerful, and happy societies as we there found. 



58 TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN FITZROY. 

I, for one, and many of those who were with me, 
had been taught to believe, that a morose, sullen, 
gloomy disposition had taken the place of the for- 
mer amusements which there prevailed. But I 
can bear the most solemn testimony that such is 
not the case. Never in my life have I seen a hap- 
pier or more cheerful people than in the island of 
Otaheite. While there, I had an opportunity of 
asking those who had lately visited the neighbour- 
ing islands, to many of which our countrymen 
have not yet penetrated, where only native mis- 
sionaries have been sent, what was the state of 
those islands ? They invariably told me, that 
similar results have been produced. Into almost 
every island of the South Seas, ships may now go, 
and their crews land, without fear of being immedi- 
ately massacred by the natives. But this is invari- 
ably the case where the missionaries have succeed- 
ed in establishing themselves. Yet I am sorry to 
say, that many seamen, who have come home from 
those islands, have been guilty of the basest ingra- 
titude, in depreciating the labours of those very 
missionaries to whom, probably, they owed their 
lives. To the exertions of the London Missionary 
Society, I, for one, can bear the most ample testi- 



TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN FITZROY. 59 

mony, for I have seen the effects myself. From 
those islands I went to New Zealand, where I hope 
I may be allowed to say, that the Church Mission- 
ary Society is prospering in the most delightful 
manner. Many persons have said that the natives 
only conformed outwardly to the doctrines of the 
missionaries among them, and only because the 
eyes of the missionaries were upon them, but that 
when they were no longer under their observation 
they acted in a very different manner. I have 
been with the natives at the tops of the moun- 
tains, when no eye was upon them, except that of 
a stranger, whom they might never see again, and 
the conduct of the natives of Otaheite was just as 
correct ; they were as sincere in their morning and 
evening prayers, and the manner in which they 
spoke of the exertions of the missionaries among 
the neighbouring islands, as in the low country, 
near the sea, where the missionaries resided." 

This honourable testimony, borne by such an 
individual, needs no comment. 

A residence of about twenty years among these 
people has afforded abundant opportunities of ob- 
serving those leading features in their character, 
which are worthy of notice. One is, their anxiety 



60 ANXIETY TO POSSESS THE SCRIPTURES. 

to possess tlie word of God. The first portion of 
Sacred Scriptures that was published in Polynesia 
was printed by the Rev. W. Ellis* at Eimeo, an 
island in the neighbourhood of Tahiti, in the year 
1818. Strangers would be surprised at the dis- 
tance which some of them travelled, and the anx- 
iety they manifested to obtain these portions of the 
word of God. The whole of the Sacred Volume 
having been translated by the missionaries, and 
revised by one of their number, whose correct 
knowledge of the Tahitian language eminently 
qualified him for that important service, 3000 
copies were printed, in London, by the British and 
Foreign Bible Society. Some little time elapsed, 
after the Bibles were ready to be shipped, before 
an opportunity was afforded of sending them to 
the islands, during which time the natives were 
making unceasing enquiries about them. When a 
ship has appeared in the offing with the English 
colours flying, they have come to me and asked 
permission to launch my boat and take me off to 
the vessel to enquire if the Bibles were there. 
When Mr. Williams returned from England, he 
brought with him a copy, which was lent, for a few 

* Ellis' Polynesian Researches. 



ARRIVAL OF BIBLES. 



61 



weeks, to the missionary at Papeete ; but so eager 
were the natives to have the loan of it, that the 
missionary seldom had it, except when using it in 
the school-house, or the place of worship. As he 
descended from the pulpit with it in his hand, he 
found persons at the foot of the steps waiting to 
borrow it. One would say, " Let me have it to- 
day." Another, " Let me have it to-morrow." 
And a third would beg that he might have it when 
the others had done with it. Thus was it conti- 
nually in the hands of the natives. 

Long before the Bibles arrived, many of the 
people placed in the hands of the missionaries 
their money to purchase them, that they might 
not be disappointed when they came to hand. At 
length a small packing-case, containing thirty 
Bibles, arrived with Mr. Nottfs boxes and trunks 
from Sydney, New South Wales. Mr. Xott 
having been taken ill, after his luggage had been 
put on board, was obliged to remain in Sydney, 
but sent on most of his things to Tahiti. It was 
by some means ascertained by the natives that 
there was a box of Tahitian Bibles at Papeete, in 
a store kept by an English merchant. They came 
repeatedly to me, begging that I would open the 

Gr 



62 



BOX Or BIBLES BROKEN OPEN. 



box and let them have the Bibles, for they would 
be doing no good lying there, but, if in their 
hands, they might derive benefit from them. I 
told them Mr. Nott had sent a letter, stating, 
that not a single box or trunk must be opened till 
he arrived. Perceiving that there was no proba- 
bility of getting them from me, they devised a 
plan by which they obtained them. Several of 
the chiefs and one or two members of the royal 
family went to the store, where the Bibles were, 
and entered, as though they had come to purchase 
some of the articles there exposed for sale. A 
few of them stood round the store-keeper, talking 
to him, that he might not easily perceive what the 
others were doing, when, all at once, he heard a 
tremendous crash, and, to his great surprise, he 
found they had broken the case, and were scram- 
bling for the Bibles. The man begged that they 
would not take the in, stating that they were in his 
charge, and that he should be blamed if he allowed 
them to go. His entreaties were all in vain, they 
had now got them in their possession. They said 
to the store-keeper, " Don't you fear, we will at 
once write down the name of each person who has 



THE TREASURE. 



63 



one, and we are willing to pay any price that may 
be demanded for them, -but we will not give them 
up." We do not attempt to justify the steps 
taken to obtain the Bibles, but state the fact to 
show their earnest desire to possess them. 

The Queen's secretary succeeded in getting one, 
and, passing by the missionary's door, he called 
in to acquaint him with what had taken place, 
and to show him his treasure. The dinner being 
on the table, the missionary said to him, " Put 
down your Bible, and dine with us." He replied, 
" Not to-day, I have better food here ; I want to 
go and feed upon this spiritual food." In gene- 
ral a native does not need much pressing to in- 
duce him to partake, but on this occasion he 
declined the kind invitation, and hastened home 
to feed upon " the meat which endureth unto 
eternal life." 

When Makea,* one of the principal chiefs of 
Rarotonga, was presented with a copy of the Bible 
complete, in the Tahitian language, he said, " Now 
I am a great chief. I now possess valuable pro- 
perty." His heart was so full of joy, that he im- 

* Son of Makea, mentioned in a former chapter. 



64 



EAGERNESS FOR THE SCRIPTURES. 



mediately wrote a letter to the donor, expressing 
his sincere thanks for such a valuable present. He 
esteems it as his choicest treasure. 

The price fixed upon the Bibles was two dollars. 
Had three dollars been demanded, they would 
cheerfully have given them. 

When they did arrive, it was delightful to see 
with what eagerness they were purchased. Mr. 
Pitman, having received from England 1500 
copies of the four gospels for Rarotonga, says, 
"What would the friends of the Bible Society 
say, could they behold the grateful pleasure pic- 
tured in the countenances of the people on re- 
ceiving this best of treasures, and the grief de- 
picted in the faces of those who cannot obtain 
one." The same earnest desire to obtain the 
word of God is evinced on all the islands where 
they profess Christianity. 

They are not like many in more favoured coun- 
tries, satisfied with simply possessing a copy of 
the Sacred Volume; they make great use of it. 
It maybe said of them as of the Bereans : " They 
received the word with all readiness of mind, and 
searched the Scriptures daily." One night, as 
Mrs. Buzacott, on Rarotonga, was passing through 



THE SCRIPTURES VALUED. 



65 



the settlement, she called at a house, in which she 
found the family sitting in the dark. She said to 
them, " Friends, how is it that you are sitting in 
the dark? Have you no oil?" They replied, 
" We have but little, so we keep the lamp burning 
while we read the Scriptures at family prayer, and 
then we blow it out, and sit in the dark, till we 
retire to rest." It should be observed, that it is 
difficult to get oil on Rarotonga. During their 
wars, just before they were favoured with the gos- 
pel, all their cocoa-nut trees were destroyed by 
the conquering parties, consequently they have 
been obliged to obtain their oil from other islands. 
Hence these poor people were so careful of the 
small quantity they possessed, that they might 
the longer enjoy the privilege of reading the 
Scriptures at family prayer. 

Many of them spend a considerable portion of 
their time in perusing this precious volume : they 
consider it their choicest treasure. When the 
house of Tupe * was burning, and all his property 
was being consumed in the flames, the first thing 
which he endeavoured to save was a portion of the 
New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles, all that 

* Deacon at Rarotonga. 



66 DESIRE TO LEARN THE SCRIPTURES. 

they then had in print. This attempt he made at 
the risk of his life, but did not succeed. As soon 
as he saw Mr. Pitman, he said, " Oh, teacher, the 
book of God is consumed ; let not my house and 
property be regarded ; but oh, my book, my book!" 
The next morning the missionary presented him 
with another copy of the book which he so much 
prized ; it was received with feelings of no small 
delight. 

They are exceedingly anxious to understand 
what they read. Hence they have their Bible- 
classes each morning, Saturdays excepted. These 
they attend soon after sunrise, before they go to 
the various avocations of the day. None think it 
beneath their dignity to attend these Bible- 
classes. At Papeete, may be seen Queen Pomare, 
her mother, her aunt, various chiefs and common 
people, sitting around their teacher, reading verse 
by verse alternately, when they are interrogated 
on each verse as they read it, and, if necessary, 
suitable explanations are given by the teacher. 
All expect to be interrogated. Queen Pomare 
would think it very strange if, on account of her 
being a sovereign, she were not to be interrogated, 
but merely read her portion. Her Majesty thinks 



NUMEROUS ENQUIRIES. 



67 



it as important for her to obtain correct views of 
Divine truth, as it is for any of her subjects. 
Many of them come to our houses with the Bible 
in their hands, asking for explanations of various 
passages which they have been reading at home, 
but not being able satisfactorily to understand 
them, they at once apply to those who possess 
a more correct and extensive knowledge of the 
w r ord of God. 

Mr. Pitman having visited Mangaia, an island 
in the Hervey group, says, " During our stay in 
Mangaia, I was much pleased w ith the conduct of 
Faaruea and his wife. I gave them a copy of the 
Psalms and the minor prophets, which they 
received with great delight. Immediately they 
retired into their room to peruse them ; and 
although two ships were off the island, they could 
hardly be diverted, by a circumstance so exciting 
to the natives, from reading these valuable por- 
tions of Divine truth. Early next morning, when 
I arose, they were waiting to ask the meaning of 
what they had read. The three nights we were 
there, the house was crowded with natives asking 
questions on various passages of Scripture. I 
conversed wdth the men, and Mrs. P. with the 



68 VISIT TO THE OUT-STATIONS. 



women. We found them intelligent and appa- 
rently very desirous to be instructed." 

I have been to many of the out-stations and 
have found it just as described in reference to 
Mangaia. When there were two of us, they 
would keep both busily employed, answering their 
questions and giving them explanations of difficult 
passages of Scripture, till midnight or cock-crow- 
ing in the morning. If we became sleepy, they 
would allow one to take a short nap while they 
conversed with the other, and when he had 
become so sleepy as scarcely to be able to converse 
with them, they would say, " Now you sleep, and 
we will wake your friend." In vain did we beg 
them to allow us to retire to our beds. They 
said, " You must faaoromai (take it patiently), and 
permit us to converse with you while we have the 
opportunity; you will be here but a very short 
time, and you can sleep on board the ship after 
you have left us." 

It is not to be expected that the native teachers 
labouring at those out-stations can be deeply 
versed in biblical criticism or theological opinions, 
hence they must, at times, find it difficult to give 
satisfactory answers to some of the questions pro- 



APTNESS IN APPLYING THE SCRIPTURES. 69 

posed by their inquisitive disciples. If there be 
any doubt in the minds of these enquirers after 
the truth of the correctness of the information 
they receive from their teachers, they will note 
down those passages and have them ready to lay 
before the European missionaries when they are 
visited by them. 

They have a great aptness in applying passages 
of Scripture to various incidents as they occur. At 
a church-meeting a person was about to be 
admitted to communion who had been a member 
formerly ; just as the missionary was about to put 
it to the vote, to decide whether or not this indi- 
vidual should be re-admitted, one of the deacons 
rose up and spoke as follows, "My teacher, 
brethren and sisters, I also have a little word to 
say respecting our returning brother. WTiile you 
have been speaking, I have been thinking of 
Noah's Ark. A bird went out of that Ark, and 
it was flying about in every direction, but it could 
find no rest, and it came back to the Ark. TTkat 
did Noah do ? Did he shut the window and keep 
it out ? No, he put out his hand and took the 
bird and brought it into the Ark again, that it 
might there find rest. Now r I think that Ark 



70 



THE PRODIGAL SON . 



somewhat resembles this Church. Our brother 
was in the Church formerly, but he went out of it. 
He has been seeking happiness in the things of 
this world : he has gone from object to object 
seeking peace, but he has not found it, and now 
he is coming back to the Church. What then 
should be our conduct towards our returning 
brother ? Shall we shut the door of the Church 
against him ? No. Let us put out our hands 
and take hold of our brother and bring him into 
the Church, that he may there find peace. I pro- 
pose that he be received." 

On a similar occasion, a member stood up and 
said, "Brethren and sisters, I was just thinking 
of the parable of the Prodigal Son. The person 
who now desires to be admitted resembles the 
Prodigal Son. He has gone astray from God and 
indulged in sin, but he has repented of his sins 
and forsaken them, and has come back to God. 
What was the conduct of the Father when the 
Prodigal returned ? Did he appear indifferent 
about it ? No. While the son was a great way 
off, his compassion for him was so great that he 
ran to meet him. He did not upbraid him with 
his past conduct and condemn him, he fell on his 



THE WATER OF LIFE. 



71 



eck and kissed him. He commanded his servant 
to bring the best robe and put it on him, and put 
a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and kill 
the fatted calf that they might be merry. Let us 
then receive our returning brother with great joy." 

A man at Huakine, who had been absent for 
some time, having returned, attended the church- 
meeting, and spoke thus : — "Brethren and sisters 
— I feel great pleasure in again meeting you after 
an absence of several months. I greatly rejoice 
that the Church remains prosperous, and that the 
word of God is made known to us daily. I think 
that we, in this place, are like persons with a large 
calabash of water, that is always full, standing 
among us, and any one who chooses may take of 
the water and refresh himself therewith. So it is 
with ' the water of life ; at the present time ; 
c whosoever will 3 may ' take of the water of life 
freely. 3 We ourselves may also be compared to 
vessels for receiving the water of life. Viewing 
ourselves in this light, it becomes us to weep, for 
some of these vessels are broken. There are some 
in whose hearts the water of life finds no place 
where it can remain ; it passes through as through 
a basket. 



72 ATTACHMENT TO THE MISSIONARIES. 

" There is, my friends, a passage of Scripture 
which we shall do well to remember. It is said 
that Peter, a fisherman, had been toiling all night 
and had caught nothing, and Jesus said to him, 
cast the net on the right side of the ship, and they 
cast it, and now they were not able to draw the 
net to land for the multitude of fishes it contained. 
That for which Peter had been all night toiling 
was instantly obtained when Christ spoke. Christ 
speaks when the gospel is preached with power. 
I trust he speaks among us. Our missionary 
toils ; he casts the net, but Christ directs him to 
cast it on the right side ; hence it is that many are 
caught, and success continues." 

We cannot always vouch for the correctness of 
the quotations they make, nor the similes they 
draw ; but we often admire their beautiful sim- 
plicity. 

The native converts manifest great attachment 
to those who labour among them. They cheer- 
fully submit to such as are placed over them in the 
Lord, and esteem them very highly in love for 
their work's sake. This attachment is manifested, 
not merely in attending to their instructions, but 
also in acts of kindness from day to day. If 



AFFECTION FOR MR. WILLIAMS. 73 

one of them should be killing a large hog, he is 
almost sure to send a piece of it to the missionary. 
If several of them have been hauling the seine and 
have caught some fish, they usually take a few to 
their teacher. One will take him a bunch of ba- 
nanas, and another a few heads of bread-fruit. A 
few of the female members will unite and make a 
mat, to be used as a carpet for the best room, and 
take it as a present to the missionary's wife. On 
most of the islands they build, at their own ex- 
pense, not only the places of worship and the 
school-houses, but also the houses for their mis- 
sionaries. If their spiritual guide be the subject 
of domestic affliction, they will sympathize deeply 
with him and his family, and endeavour to admi- 
nister consolation. When the news of Mr. "Wil- 
liams' death, at Eromanga, reached the natives on 
the islands where he was known, they clothed 
themselves in the habiliments of mourning, as a 
token of their affectionate regard for him, to whose 
counsels they had often listened with delight, and 
by whose exertions many of them had been brought 
out of heathen darkness into the marvellous light 
of the gospel. A young woman, who had been 
brought up in his school, came to me with half a 

H 



74 GRIEF AT THE LOSS OF A MISSIONARY. 

dollar, begging that I would sell her a small por- 
trait of Mr. Williams. I asked her why she 
wdshed his portrait. She said, "As I cannot now 
see Mr. Williams himself, I should like frequently 
to look at his portrait." The natives on Karotonga 
have erected a neat monument to his memory, 

When a missionary has been for a considerable 
time settled at a station, his removal is considered 
by the people as one of the greatest calamities that 
can befall them. At the close of the year 1838 it 
was thought desirable, by the body of missionaries 
at the Navigators, that the late Mr. Barnden, then 
labouring at Leone Bay, on Tutuila, should re- 
move to a populous station at Savaii. As soon as 
this was communicated to the principal chief at 
Leone, he wept as though he w r ould break his 
heart. His grief was excessive. Mr. Williams 
endeavoured to comfort him, by assuring him that, 
in a very short time, he should have another mis- 
sionary; but he refused to be comforted, saying, 
" You promised us a missionary when we were 
heathens, and now we have had him a little while 
and have cast off heathenism, what can we do 
without him ? Shall we go back into darkness V 
It was quite painful to see the distress of mind 



76 



THE MISSIONARY'S RETURN. 



which prevailed when it was known that their 
teacher was about to leave them. 

TThen Mr. Orsmond, the missionary on Taia- 
rabu, arrived from Sydney, having gone thither 
for the benefit of his health, his people manifested 
the greatest delight in again seeing him among 
them. Their joy was not expressed in words only. 
The children of each school came, in separate 
bodies, with food of all sorts ; fish, fowls, plan- 
tains, oranges, &c, which they presented as a token 
of their affection for, and attachment to, their 
teacher. Then almost every family came separately 
to show their pleasure on his return. One pre- 
sented a hog, another a great bunch of bananas 
or mountain plantains, another a fowl or a fish, 
and others brought a selection of fruits : thus 
manifesting their warm attachment to him. 

When one, who had long laboured among them, 
was about to visit England to recruit his health, 
and take the senior branches of his family to the 
land of their fathers for education, in addition to 
their usual custom of bringing the produce of the 
island, as above described, they wrote a letter to 
the churches in Britain, of which the following is 
a translation. 



LETTER TO THE CHURCHES IN BRITAIN. 77 



"Paofai* Jan. 16, 1841. 

" TO THE BRETHREN AND SISTERS IN THE 
CHURCHES IN BRITAIN. 

" May you be saved. This is our word to you : 
our teacher is going to visit you. He goes with 
our sympathy, our attachment, and our love 
resting upon him. We have no wish to let him 
go ; but he has told us that he is anxious to take 
his children to England that they may be in- 
structed and acquire knowledge ; on that account 
we agreed to his wishes. Had he said to us, c I 
will go to Britain and remain there f we would 
by no means have complied with his desire, be- 
cause he is a teacher that accords well with us ; 
our hearts adhere very closely to him. On this 
account we are collecting property for him, that he 
may be really our own teacher. This is a mark 
by which you may know our great attachment to 
him. 

" This also we would say to you. Do not detain 
our teacher, but let him come back, that he may 
still live among us, that he may continue to feed 
the flock of Jesus the Messiah, and give the 
water of life to them who are thirsty. 

* The name of the station. The English name is Wilks 1 Harbour. 



78 ATTENDANCE ON THE MEANS OF GRACE, 

" We now sorrow as children without a parent. 
We shall pine away with grieving ; perhaps our 
growth will be a little stunted: but this is our 
word to you. Pray to God for us, that he may 
pour out abundantly his Spirit upon his Church 
here ; that holiness, zeal, and strength, may in- 
crease, and that we may be beloved by Jesus the 
Messiah. 

" Peace be with you, 

" MARE. 

" For the Deacons, the Brethren and the Sisters." 

The people requested the missionary to tell 
the Directors of the Society in London to keep 
this station on their list, and still consider it as 
one of their stations ; but that in future they 
intend to support their own teacher. 

Were it necessary, a variety of other interesting 
facts might be brought forward to show how greatly 
these native converts are attached to those who 
labour among them in word and doctrine. 

Their attendance on the means of grace de- 
serves notice. On almost all the islands where 
the gospel has been introduced, and the people 
have made a profession of Christianity, a most 



ATTENDANCE ON THE MEANS OF GRACE. 79 



diligent attention is paid to the public ordinances 
of religion. This is particularly the case in those 
stations which are not visited by foreign shipping. 
They very strictly observe the Sabbath. Their 
food for the Sabbath is cooked on the Saturday, 
consequently none are detained from a place of 
worship to cook hot dinners on the Sabbath, as is 
so common in England, even among professing 
Christians. They usually attend three services 
on the Sabbath. The first is a prayer-meeting, 
held early in the morning. These meetings are 
generally well attended. It would be considered 
a great disgrace for a church-member to absent 
himself from the prayer-meeting. All who pro- 
fess to feel any concern about good things will be 
there. Most of the natives consider it as import- 
ant to attend the prayer-meeting as the preaching 
of the gospel. It is exceedingly interesting at 
these meetings to hear how particularly and affec- 
tionately they pray for their missionaries, for the 
ministers of the gospel generally, and for the 
increase of vital religion in their own hearts, and 
especially for the best of blessings to rest upon 
their Christian friends in Britain, who have sent 
them the gospel. 



80 CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 

In the forenoon there is usually a very full at- 
tendance. Some of the chapels are so crowded, 
that many persons have to sit outside. On these 
occasions, most of them are neatly dressed. Many 
of them take paper and pencils and write the 
particulars of the discourse. But few congre- 
gations in England surpass them in serious atten- 
tion and decent behaviour in the house of God. 
At the close of the afternoon service, many of 
them frequently stop to talk over what they have 
heard through the day, and to pray that the seed 
which has been sown may spring up and produce 
an abundant harvest. Besides attending schools 
daily, they have two religious services each week. 
On Wednesday there is a lecture, and on Friday a 
kind of conversational meeting, when they unite 
in prayer, and exhort each other to greater dili- 
gence in their attention to those things which 
pertain to their eternal welfare. These meetings 
are sometimes peculiarly interesting. 

The generality of them have very correct views 
of the doctrines of the gospel and the ordinances 
of religion. We shall bring forward a few natives, 
and let them speak for themselves. 

While the Rev. T. Heath, of the Navigator's 



CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 



81 



Islands, was in Sydney, New South Wales, a nu- 
merous assembly was convened there to form a 
Juvenile Missionary Society. The presence of five 
natives, who had accompanied Mr. Heath, added 
greatly to the interest of the meeting. After one 
of them had spoken, at considerable length, and 
with great propriety, Mr. Heath being interpreter, 
the chairman put to them the following questions, 
which were promptly answered by three of them. 
They had no previous knowledge of these ques- 
tions. 

" Why are you a Christian ?" 
" Because I wish to arrive safely and peacefully 
in heaven," 

"What reason have you to believe that Christi- 
anity is true, and your former religion is false ?" 

" I know that from the word of God." 

" What kind of persons ought Christians to be ?" 

" They must do the will of God, and depend 
upon the blood of Christ." 

" If persons call themselves Christians, and have 
not this character, what do you think of them 1" 

" They are all bad men, and the anger of God 
is upon them." 



82 CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 



* Who is Jesus Christ ? What did he do for 
the world ?" 

" He is the Son of God. He came down below 
here to do the will of his Father, and to die for 
us." 

" What is necessary in order to constitute a man 
a true Christian ?" 

" His heart must be changed, and his conduct 
must be changed." 

One day a very old man went into Mr. Pitman's 
study, when the following conversation took place : 
" Well, my friend, what is your business ?" " I 
wish to give myself to God in baptism." " Is 
that the real desire of your heart ?" " Yes, the 
real desire." "Do you love God and Christ?" 
" Yes, I love God. I have been a wretched being, 
a great warrior in this place, and many a one have 
I slain in my days of ignorance ; but there is a 
new day. We now hear things that we never 
heard before. I heard you preach from these 
words, ' God forbid that I should glory, save in the 
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ/ I thought much 
about the cross of Christ." " Do you know who 
Christ is ?" " He is the Son of God." " What 



CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 83 



was his object in coming into this world ?" " To 
be the true sacrifice for sin, that we might be 
saved." "Do you pray to him?" "Oh, yes." 
" Do you trust in him ?" " Yes, like this," lean- 
ing his back, and resting his whole weight against 
the sofa in the study, " my soul thus leans on 
Christ." 

Another person, feeling anxious to be united in 
church-fellowship, went to his missionary to con- 
verse with him on the subject. After giving some 
account of his experience, referring to his many 
trials, fears and distresses, he said, " Thus, by the 
sword of the Spirit, I have been pierced through 
and through." " Well," said the missionary, 
" how do you expect peace, comfort, and happi- 
ness ?" " Only through Christ ; he is my sacri- 
fice ; no other way of pardon." " What are your 
views of sin ?" " It is exceedingly evil ; the thing 
most of all to be hated and forsaken." " Do you 
not expect pardon for your diligence in attending 
the house of God ?" " No ; Christ only by his 
blood can be of any service whatever to me in the 
removal of sin \ nothing of my own can procure its 
forgiveness." 

One, whose mind was deeply impressed with a 



84 CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 



sense of his exceeding sinfulness, and consequently 
of his exposure to the wrath of God, went to a friend 
and related his distress. His friend directed him 
to the Lord Jesus ; to seek pardon through him, 
and to rely upon him alone for salvation. Soon 
after this he heard Meretu (Mr. Pitman's native 
assistant) preach from Isa. i. 28 — "They that for- 
sake the Lord shall be consumed. ^ This discourse 
produced such a powerful impression on his mind, 
that he could get no rest all that night. The next 
morning he went to Meretu, to tell him his feel- 
ings, and the state of his mind. Referring to this 
interview, he says, " He talked to me, and directed 
me to the way of mercy, which greatly relieved me 
of my heavy burden. I now give myself up to 
Christ to be saved by him — only by him. It is 
owing to his grace that I am alive this day. It is 
the desire of my heart to hold fast the Saviour as 
my trust, and walk in the footsteps of his people 
until death/' 

A missionary, speaking of his visit to one of his 
people who was ill, says, "Her views of the ways of 
salvation appeared very clear. She said she knew 
that J esus came into the world to save sinners, and 
that he was now full of compassion, and would 



CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 85 

save his people when they prayed to him. I asked 
her if she prayed to him. She said she did. I 
spoke to her on the value of the soul. She replied 
that was the great thing; the body was of no value. 
On asking if she trusted in Christ, or her own 
good heart, for salvation, she replied, in Christ 
only. She said her goodness was like her body, 
which was in a very emaciated state. " 

The same missionary, conversing with another 
person, asked him if he prayed. He replied in the 
affirmative. " To whom ? ;; " To Jesus/ ; " For 
what do you pray to Jesus V* u l pray to Jesus 
to have mercy upon me a sinner.'* "For what 
else do you pray to Jesus V 3 " For his blood to 
wash away my sins, and for his Holy Spirit to 
make me clean." 

Mr. Murray, alluding to the sickness and death 
of Leturi, one of the chiefs on Tutuila, says, " A 
deep sense of his own weakness and worthies sue ss, 
a high estimate of the blessed Saviour, and a con- 
stant clinging to him, were all along conspicuous. 
His general expressions were uttered with evident 
intelligence and sincerity, " may I hold out to 
the end — may I stick to Christ to the end/'' A 
little before he died, he said, " I cannot speak 

T 



86 CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 



much, but my mind is on J esus ; may I stick to 
the cross." His last words were, " May I stick 
to the cross of Christ/' Thus clinging to the 
cross, he descended into the valley of the shadow 
of death, and, we trust, is now with the Saviour 
who expired on that cross to atone for his trans- 
gressions. 

A female, being desirous of sitting down at the 
table of the Lord, to commemorate the Saviour's 
dying love, went to her missionary to converse 
with him respecting it, when the following ques- 
tions were proposed, and the answ r ers given. 
" What is the meaning of this ordinance ?" 

" It is a command of Jesus to his disciples, and 
is symbolic only." 

" What advantages may be derived from it ?" 

" It will be of advantage to none but those who 
truly rely on Jesus Christ." 

" Is there not salvation in the ordinance ?" 

" Oh no, that is to be found in the blood of 
Jesus alone." 

" What do you think of the bread and the wine 
used in the ordinance ?" 

" They are the symbols of the body and blood 
of Jesus, and not his real body and blood." 



CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 87 



" Who are proper persons to partake of the or- 
dinance V y 

" True believers/ 1 

" What ought to be the conduct observed by 
them?" 

"A constant submission to the requirements 
and will of God, and strict propriety in their con- 
duct towards all men/ 1 

" What are your thoughts respecting yourself — 
I mean respecting yourself now, and what you 
once were ?" 

" When I think of my past sins my heart is 
pained ; but I rejoice that Christ has taken them 
away, and I beg of Christ to take away all my 
sins, and cleanse me in his blood/ 1 

"Do you think it is right for you to desire this 
ordinance ? " 

" I hope it is ; for I feel differently to what I 
once did. If I truly repent, and trust in Christ, 
it will be well for me. I desire and hope I do/ 1 

Many thousands of these, formerly blind ido- 
laters, have now clear perceptions of divine truth, 
and are familiar with the fundamental doctrines 
of the gospel. A large proportion of them will 
converse more fluently on these subjects than 



88 CORRECT VIEWS OF DIVINE THINGS. 



multitudes in our native country, who have en- 
joyed greater advantages. This may be attributed 
not merely to their attention to the word of God 
on the Sabbath, but also to their Bible-classes, to 
their diligently searching the Scriptures at home, 
and to their conversational meetings on the Fri- 
day afternoons. 



89 



CHAPTER V. 

The Character of the Native Converts continued. — Their ardent 
zeal. — Communication of Instruction. — Chapel-building. — Mis- 
sionary zeal. — Missionary Prayer-meetings. — Annual Meet- 
ings. — Native Speeches. — The Formation of a Missionary So- 
ciety. — Speeches. — Three Reasons for sleeping comfortably. — 
Missionary Meeting at Tutuila. — Subscriptions. — Letter to the 
Treasurer. — Subscriptions at the Friendly Islands. — King 
George's Liberality and Labours. 

With but few exceptions, these native converts 
are very zealous. Their zeal is manifested in 
various ways. When I was at Vavau, in 1839, 
there were in communion with the Wesley an mis- 
sionaries in that group 8638, and of that number 
1400 were daily employed in communicating 
Christian instruction to their fellow-countrymen \ 
some as teachers in the children's schools, others 
in the adult schools, and not a few as local, or 
village preachers. This is the case, more or less, 
on all the islands. 

When school-houses or chapels are to be built, 
you may see all busily engaged. Some little time 
ago, it was considered necessary to build a new 



90 



CHAPEL-BUILDING. 



chapel at Avarua, Mr. Buzacott's station, on Ka- 
rotonga. The people assembled to consider what 
kind of house should be built. It was their una- 
nimous decision that it should be a stone house 
(coral rock), and that it should be built on the 
voluntary principle. In a few days they com- 
menced burning lime, and, in about a fortnight, 
they were ready to lay the foundation-stone. A 
large block of coral, with a hole in the centre, was 
procured, in which was deposited a bottle care- 
fully sealed, containing a paper with the names 
of the reigning chiefs and resident missionaries. 
The stone was laid by Davida and Tinomana, two 
zealous and influential chiefs. An address was 
delivered, a hymn sung, and prayer offered for 
the success of the undertaking. The people set 
to work with great diligence, and the house was 
completed in ten weeks from the laying the foun- 
dation-stone. It is 100 feet long by 34 wide ; the 
walls are 16 feet high, and 2 feet thick. It is 
a noble-looking house, quite an ornament to the 
settlement. It was opened by Mr. Pitman, who 
preached to an overflowing congregation. 

In one week after the old place of worship at 
Oahu had been burnt down, the frame of a new 



MISSIONARY ZEAL. 



91 



one was erected. A larger, stronger, more con- 
venient, and more respectable one, was finished; 
at the expense of the natives exclusively, in about 
a month. YThen any public building is to be 
erected, all engage in the work, xls the internal 
parts of the roofs are usually ornamented with 
matting and braid, made from the cocoa-nut 
husk, the women and children have a share in 
the labour. On these occasions their zeal some- 
what resembles that of certain persons, who were 
formerly engaged in a less noble cause, of whom 
it is said, "The children gather wood, and the 
fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their 
dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven." 

They also possess much missionary zeal. Their 
bowels yearn with compassion over those who are 
yet " in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of ini- 
quity." That spiritual light which has shone in 
upon their minds, they are now anxious to reflect 
upon other dark places of the earth, full of the ha- 
bitations of cruelty. I do not know a single 
church formed among the converted heathen, 
which has not its Missionary Society. Ought not 
this to make some of our churches in England 
blush ? 



92 



ANNUAL MEETINGS. 



They have their monthly missionary prayer- 
meetings; but being fourteen hours before the 
English time, they hold theirs on the Tuesday 
morning, instead of Monday evening, that the 
churches in Polynesia and the churches in Britain 
may, at the same time, be prostrate before the 
mercy -seat, wrestling with God for the salvation 
of a ruined world. 

They have annual missionary meetings, similar 
to those in Great Britain, and hold them the se- 
cond week in May. On many of the islands these 
meetings are exceedingly well attended, and pecu- 
liarly interesting. They usually have a missionary 
sermon in the forenoon. At the close of this ser- 
vice, they proceed to a particular spot, selected for 
the purpose, where they dine together. When 
they dine in true native style, they have no need of 
tables and chairs, kc. They sit on a carpet, pro- 
vided by nature, and are shaded by the thick fo- 
liage of the bread-fruit trees, the cocoa-nuts, and 
bananas. The leaves of the Hibiscus are spread 
upon the ground for a table-cloth and for plates. 
For knives and forks they use their fingers. The 
food having been placed upon the leaves, forming 
a long row, they seat themselves on both sides. 



ANNUAL MEETINGS. 



93 



just as tailors sit on their boards. As soon as a 
blessing has been asked, they commence eating, 
and appear very much to enjoy themselves. Some- 
times they make speeches while dining, and allude, 
in a very touching manner, to their heathen state, 
comparing their former cruel practices with their 
present enjoyments. Having dined, they again 
assemble in the place of worship, or, if the number 
be very large, in a grove, to hold their meeting for 
business. One of their leading characters having 
been called to the chair, and the Divine blessing 
implored, they proceed to business. The chairman, 
after a short address, calls upon the secretary to read 
the report, which consists chiefly of a list of what 
has been subscribed during the year. They then 
commence their speeches. They do not erect a 
platform, and fill it with gentlemen, whose ad- 
dresses are to occupy all the time of the meeting. 
Were we to attempt to move and second a number 
of resolutions, we should have ten or a dozen spon- 
taneously holding forth in support of each resolu- 
tion. One would stand up and say, " Mr. Presi- 
dent, I have a little word to say on this subject ; 
hear me." Before the chairman could put the 
resolution to the meeting, another would stand up 



94 



NATIVE SPEECHES 



and beg that he might be allowed to tell his 
"little thoughts about sending the gospel to the 
dark Lands." Like the little sweep,* they con- 
sider that they have an interest in the society, and 
consequently have a right to speak. 

As my readers cannot attend these meetings to 
hear for themselves the appeals made by the na- 
tive converts on behalf of the perishing heathen, 
a few specimens of their " little speeches" may not 
be unacceptable. 

Fenuafeho. — " We have not hitherto collected 
much property, but let us add our prayers to that 
which we have given. The gospel cannot be con- 
veyed to distant lands without means. This is the 
way; pray with the mouth, and give with the 
hands. To pray without giving is a lying prayer. 

* One evening, as a little sweep was running along the street, 
a big sweep met nun, and shouted out to the little fellow, u Hal- 
loo, Jack, where are you going in such a hurry r" Little Jack 
said, " Don't bother me now ; I am going to the missionary meet- 
ing. I've got a share in the concern, and I want to go and see 
how things go on."' This little sweep was in a Sabbath school, 
and was a subscriber to the Missionary Society ; hence he said he 
had a share in the concern, and was going to see how things went 
on. Are there not many boys in respectable families in Great 
Britain who have no share in this concern ? Let such learn, from 
the little sweep, their duty, and immediately enjoy the privilege of 
becoming shareholders in this honourable concern. 



NATIVE SPEECHES. 



95 



Do not put down your names without meaning to 
give. Let not your hearts go back. There are 
few inhabitants now on this land to what there 
were formerly. We only of all our families are 
left, brands plucked out of the burning.*" 

Vahineumi.— " That we collect property to 
increase the funds of the Parent Society is good. 
We are all collected together this day to promote 
the work of God. Let us be diligent. Beware 
lest any of us' become like Ananias and Sapphira, 
keeping back that which belongs to God." 

Meduarea. "The great tree has grown; the 
shade has stretched to numerous lands ; it has 
not grown by the sword, but by the prayers of 
those in Great Britain, who sent us this word. 
Recollect what we have heard preached to us this 
morning. We have sent a few of our number to 
adjacent islands, and they have been blessed by 
Jesus. Let us continue to pray for the extension 
of this kingdom ; let us not withhold. There are 
numerous nations still in darkness, who are mur- 
dering their children and destroying each other." 

Baahoe. " Let us not begin at the top of the 
tree ; let us begin at the root. Let our hearts be 
found in this work. Look at the little ants, we 



96 FORMATION OF A MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 

are less wise than they. Let us be active, and 
give our property in this good cause. Let the 
church members give, that those who are still in 
heathen darkness may become members of the 
Church of Christ. Let the baptized give, that 
those who are still worshipping idols may cast 
them away, and be baptized in the name of the 
Father, Son, and Spirit/ 5 

These " little speeches," with many others of a 
similar character, were delivered at Tahaa, one of 
the Society Islands, in May 1826. As the gospel 
has been introduced to other islands, new socie- 
ties have been formed. 

Rarotonga has furnished several zealous and 
successful pioneers for the field of missions. 
Those who cannot go to labour among the hea- 
then themselves, willingly assist in supporting 
those who are engaged in the work. Soon after 
Mr. Gill had settled at Arorangi, he proposed to 
the people that they should form a missionary 
society; to which they most cheerfully agreed. 
On the Sabbath previous to the formation of the 
society, Mr. Gill pointed out the urgent necessi- 
ties of the heathen, and our duty to render them 
all the assistance in our power. Early on the day 



TREASURER AND SECRETARY APPOINTED. 97 

appointed for the meeting, the chapel was crowded 
to excess. The services were commenced by sing- 
ing a hymn, celebrating the power and majesty 
of Jehovah as the only true God \ after which, 
prayer was offered for the Divine presence and 
blessing. Mr. Buzacott then gave a brief his- 
torical account of the Parent Society, the first 
declaration, and subsequent prosperity of the gos- 
pel at Tahiti, and the present state and extent of 
the society' s operations. To these statements the 
people listened with intense interest, and their 
hearts were evidently deeply affected. At the 
close of Mr. Buzacott' s address, Papeiha, a native 
teacher, showed that it was their duty to form a 
branch society to aid the Parent Society in Eng- 
land. After expressing his hope that they would 
pay proper regard to that duty, he proposed that 
Timu, an influential chief at that station, be ap- 
pointed treasurer for the ensuing year. This 
being seconded by one of the deacons of the 
Church, it was unanimously carried. The next 
proposition was, that Setephano, one of the chiefs 
sons, be appointed secretary, which was also im- 
mediately carried. After the two persons chosen 
had expressed their assent, several speeches were 

K 



98 OFF K RINGS TO THE MISSIONARY CAUSE. 



delivered. They then adjourned to the school* 
house^ the place appointed to receive the sub- 
scriptions. Their contributions in arrow-root 
amounted to 700 lbs. Those who had money, 
gave dollars, half-dollars, and quarter-dollars, to 
the amount of fourteen dollars and a half. After- 
wards many miscellaneous offerings were pre- 
sented. Although of but little value in themselves, 
they showed the liberal disposition of the people ; 
these being the only property they possessed. 
Among them were thirteen fowls, thirteen bun- 
dles of preserved bananas, thirty-two small neatly- 
wrought baskets, forty-two stones formerly used 
in their wars, one basket of breast-ornaments, and 
other heathen fineries; seven baskets of various 
kinds of sea-shells by the children, and a great 
number of heathen ear-drops. The treasurer was 
requested to dispose of these things to the best 
possible advantage, and forward the proceeds to 
the treasurer of the Parent Society. 

The people, with gladdened hearts, sat down to 
a feast prepared for the occasion ; many sincerely 
praising the Lord, and all counting themselves 
happy to have lived to see such a day. In the 
afternoon another meeting was held in the chapel, 



NATIVE SPEECHES. 



99 



that an opportunity might be afforded them to 
express the feelings of their hearts, and to exhort 
one another to diligence and love in the work of 
the Lord, The speeches that were delivered ex- 
hibited much humble gratitude and holy joy on 
the part of those who, prior to the introduction of 
the gospel, sat in darkness, and revelled in all 
that can be conceived as polluting and debasing. 

There was an old man present who had been a 
great warrior. In his heathen state he seldom 
appeared without human flesh suspended to his 
shoulder as a badge of honour ; but having ex- 
perienced the transforming influence of the gospel, 
he is now a zealous advocate in the cause of 
humanity and religion. The appearance of this 
old warrior, on whom were many scars received 
in his former sanguinary conflicts, together with 
the truly affecting manner in which he referred 
to their former wicked practices and their present 
privileges, produced a powerful impression on the 
meeting. 

H I have lived," said he, u to behold a new and 
wonderful thing — the gathering together of the 
people to send the word of the true God. It is 
true, formerly we used to assemble, but it was 



100 



NATIVE SPEECHES. 



either to plan attacks of murder, or to flee from 
attacks made by the enemy; either to devise 
schemes of theft or pollution, or to carry those 
schemes into execution. We then met in fear, 
with hearts filled with envy and malice, and dared 
not to assemble our wives and our children ; but 
now the darkness has fled, and the true light of 
the True Sun has shone upon us — Jesus, the Lord 
from heaven. The spears of our wars are lost, 
and we hold in our hand the sword of the Spirit — 
the word of the Lord — we bring with us our wives 
and our children, and feel that our hearts are 
rilled with love one towards another. We not 
only love those of our own settlement, but we love 
all, and are loved by all ; and above all, this day 
we have met to show our love to those who are as 
we were, living in darkness, having no God and no 
hope : this is a new and a wonderful event brought 
about by the great love of God." 

After this old veteran had made many other 
remarks, tending to excite a spirit of gratitude to 
God for favouring them with the gospel, he most 
affectionately addressed the young, who listened 
with much attention. 

Another old man, a candidate for church fellow- 



NATIVE SPEECHES. 



101 



ship, said, u I have lived during the reign of four 
kings. In the first I was but young; we were 
continually at war, and a fearful season it was, — 
watching and hiding with fear were all our engage- 
ments. During the reign of the second we were 
overtaken with a severe famine, and all expected 
to perish ; then we ate rats and grass, and this 
wood and the other wood, and many other 
unmentionable things. During the third we 
were conquered, and became the peck and prey of 
the two other settlements of the island ; then if a 
man went to fish he rarely ever returned, or if a 
woman went any distance to fetch food, she was 
rarely ever seen again. 33 Here, after referring to 
many deeds of darkness to which he at that season 
had been eye-witness, he continued, " But during 
the reign of this third king we were visited by 
another King — a great King — a good King — a 
powerful King — a King of love — Jesus the Lord 
from heaven. He has gained the victory — he 
has conquered our hearts; we are all his subjects, 
therefore we now have peace and plenty in this 
world, and hope soon to dwell with Him in heaven. 
We have done well to-day to meet to make known 
the fame of this King where the prince of dark- 



102 REASONS FOR SLEEPING COMFORTABLY. 



ness reigns, by sending them that word of life 
which made Him known to us." 

One very old man afforded great interest by his 
" little speech" and lively manner. He com- 
menced by saying, "Friends, I shall sleep com- 
fortably to-night. In fact, I now 7 sleep comfort- 
ably every night ; and there are three reasons 
why I sleep so comfortably now. First, because 
I have my Bible and my other little books;" 
(two or three tracts which he held up with the 
Scriptures,) saying, "Look, here they are; I 
always have them with me, and I can read them 
whenever I like; therefore I can now sleep com- 
fortably. Second, because we have for a long- 
time been praying to God for a missionary from 
Britain, and now we have him. Here he is in the 
midst of us. Our prayers have been answered; 
therefore now I can sleep comfortably. Third, 
because we are all friends and live in harmony, 
and have this day met together in peace ; there- 
fore I can now sleep comfortably. It was quite 
different formerly. Then I never slept comfort- 
ably. I was one of the watchmen who looked out 
for the enemy. There were several of us, and we 
used to take turns to sleep. My bed w 7 as the 



REASONS FOR SLEEPING COMFORTABLY. 103 



cold earth, and my pillow a stone, but I never 
could sleep comfortably then. I used sometimes 
to sleep on yonder mountain, in a hole in the rock, 
when we dared not have a light for fear of being 
detected by the enemy. In the season of the 
mosquitoes, I could not sleep at all, except I 
covered myself over with water ; frequently have 
I slept in the water, only with my head out, but 
I never could sleep comfortably then. I have 
slept in many places during my life-time, but 
until the coming of the gospel I never could sleep 
comfortably." 

Three more important reasons for sleeping 
comfortably could not easily be given. The first 
referred to the word of God. He possessed that 
invaluable treasure, and could read it when he 
liked. The second, to their having obtained a 
missionary to instruct them in that word. They 
had long been praying for a missionary from 
Britain, and God had answered their prayers. 
And the third, to the effects already produced by 
the preaching of that word. They had met to- 
gether in peace, and were living in harmony and 
love. Many other speeches, of a pleasing charac- 
ter, were delivered, showing the sincere gratitude 



104 



FREE-WILL OFFERINGS. 



of the people and their desire to communicate the 
source of their joy to others. 

At a missionary meeting lately held on Tutuila, 
the multitude that assembled was so large that it 
was necessary to have two services at the same 
hour. While one missionary was preaching in 
the chapel to a crowded congregation, another 
was addressing a large concourse of people under 
the shade of some bread-fruit trees. Soon after 
the conclusion of these services, they brought their 
offerings to the missionary cause. They had no 
money to give. Their offerings consisted of 
arrow-root, native mats and cloth. Pains were 
taken to make it universally understood, that 
every individual was at liberty to act as he might 
think proper in the matter, but that it was the 
duty of all to do something, and especially of 
those who profess to love the Saviour. 

" I was much gratified," says Mr. Murray, "to 
see every individual, from the child of three or 
four years of age to the old man of grey hairs, 
approach with their gift. It was a deeply interest- 
ing and affecting sight to see the various classes 
of character, of all ranks and ages, as they passed 
along in sober, joyful procession, and deposited 



FREE-WILL OFFERINGS. 



105 



their humble offerings on the altar of the Lord. 
The scene gave rise to mingled emotions, which it 
would be difficult to express in words. I was 
especially cheered to observe, that the liberality of 
the members of the church abounded. From them 
we had, in addition to arrow-root, twelve of their 
finest mats, which they prize as their most valu- 
able property ; and fifty-two pieces of native cloth, 
among which were some of their finest specimens. 
In making the collection, each village came 
separately, with its chief and teacher at its head, 
and passing along in an orderly manner, each 
individual laid down his contribution ; and the 
flow of grateful joy that appeared in many coun- 
tenances, made it a privilege of no common order, 
to be a spectator of the scene*" 

It may easily be perceived that the zeal of the 
native converts does not consist merely in making 
speeches at their missionary meetings, but that 
they cheerfully give of their substance to 
send the gospel to the perishing heathen. The 
following translation of a letter from the natives 
of Mangaia, a small island in the Hervey Group, 
will be read with pleasure by the friends of 
missions. These warm-hearted people are in- 



106 



LETTER FROM MANGAIA. 



debted for their instruction in Christianity, to 
the efforts of native teachers. The sum of sixteen 
pounds accompanied this letter to the treasurer of 
the London Missionary Society. 

u Friends, Brethren, and Sisters, in England, — 
May you have the unnumbered blessings of the 
new covenant, and peace from God and Jesus 
the Messiah, for seeking measures by which to 
bless all lands under heaven, together with us 
also. 

"We are now rejoicing in the gospel of Jesus 
Christ and in the knowledge of his death. This 
is why our present joy is very great, because of 
the compassion of believers in England to us, and 
in their adopting plans by which we early 
obtained a knowledge of Jesus the Saviour; and 
because of your prayers, through which we have 
received an early acquaintance with the gospel of 
endless life. 

"We were heathens formerly, when the word 
of God came to Mangaia ; we did not quickly 
hold fast the word, but we persecuted it when 
Williams first came to our land; then we were 
blind ; we did not know that this was the true 
message of God ; but now we know. 



LETTER FROM MANGAIA. 



107 



"We are now praising God, and praying that 
you may be assisted in the work which is instru- 
mental in causing this word of God to grow in all 
lands; and we also have collected the little pro- 
perty of our land to unite with you. 

"Last year we collected kaa, [native material 
for ropes]. Mr. John Williams has taken the 
kaa to sell for us. This year we have collected 
arrow-root, net, and other small articles of our 
land, and we have just planted arrow-root for the 
year now before us, we, the men, the women, and 
the children also. If we had other property in 
our land, we would collect the things; but our 
land does not resemble yours, for the number and 
variety of articles. Ours is a land of no real pro- 
perty. 

"Brethren, we are now compassionating the 
heathen, as you compassionated us. Some of our 
brethren are greatly desiring to go to heathen 
lands to make known the name of Jesus ; because 
they are calling to us, saying, ' Brethren, come 
over and help us/ 

" Now, brethren, pray to God for us, that His 
word may run quickly in our land. There yet 
remains much evil, both in the Church and out. 



108 SUBSCRIPTIONS AT THE FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 

Great numbers are yet obstinate, and will not 
receive the word of God. 

" This is the conclusion of our message at this 
season. May you be saved by the living God! 

u Namangatini, Collector. 
"Taki, Secretary" 

A few years ago I was at Vavau, one of the 
Friendly Islands, just after our Wesleyan friends 
had held their May meeting. Their subscrip- 
tions that year were, £39. 16s. 2^6?. in money; 
108 pieces of native cloth for dresses (this is 
made by the women from the bark of certain 
trees); 116 pearl fish-hooks; 12 floor-mats; 22 
mats of a fine texture, for dresses (these and the 
floor-mats are made by the women) ; 14 pigs ; 
12 fowls; a model of a canoe; a large string of 
beads ; 2 neat baskets ; a paddle for a canoe ; 
26 large yams ; 3 pieces of tortoiseshell ; 3 native 
rasps; a Fijii club; a basket of arrow-root; and 
3 white shells. Add the value of these articles 
to what was collected in cash, and we shall find 
that their subscriptions amounted nearly, if not 
quite, to £100. 

It may be interesting to some to know how 



MODEL OF A TONGA CAXOE. 109 

the sum of £10. of the money was procured. 
Some time before the May meeting, a British 
ship-of-war called there. The captain asked the 
missionaries to select a native who could make 
him a good model of a Tonga canoe, stating that 
it must be finished in the best possible style, as 
he intended, on his return to England, to present 
it to Queen Victoria. The missionaries thought 
of one and of another, but at last fixed upon the 
king, he being the best mechanic on the island. 
His majesty cheerfully engaged to make the 
model of the canoe. He knew it was intended 
for the Queen of England, and considered it no 
disgrace for one sovereign to work for another. 
It is very common, in Polynesia, for the natives, 
on embracing Christianity, to take new names, 
their heathen names frequently being of a very 
impure character. They are rather fond of adopt- 
ing English names. The king thought that as 
he was a sovereign, he ought to take a name 
suited to his exalted station, consequently he 
took the name of " King George." When the 
model was finished, the captain was so pleased 
with it, that he gave King George ten sovereigns 
for making it. King George never was so rich 

L 



110 



LIBERALITY OF THE KlXG. 



in his life. He possessed a large double canoe 
and considerable portions of land, but lie never 
before bad so much money. When the May 
meeting was held, King George brought forth 
his ten sovereigns and gave them all. He did 
not keep back part of the sum, but cheerfully 
cast the whole into the treasury of the Lord. 
His name is on the list of local preachers, and 
he goes to the neighbouring villages preaching 
"the glorious gospel of the blessed God/' to his 
own subjects. 

Ought not the conduct of this converted hea- 
then, this Christian ruler, to make some of the 
nobles and princes, in more highly favoured lands, 
blush ? A few years ago this man was a terror 
to all his subjects, carrying devastation and death 
in every direction ; but now he is revered and 
universally beloved. Like the great xipostle of 
the Gentiles, he is now propagating that faith 
which he formerly endeavoured to destroy. In 
short, King George has become a nursing father 
in the cause of missions. 



Ill 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Importance of Native Agency. — Many willing to Labour. — 
A Chief of high rank on Tutuila. — A Blind Chief. — Moral 
Courage. — Introduction of the Gospel to Mangaia. — AVilling to 
sacrifice Life in the cause of Christ. — Abundant success. — Cha- 
racter of Native Teachers. — Meretu preaching to three thousand. 
— Colleges for Native Agents. — These Agents absolutely neces- 
sary. 

Never were the churches at home, or the mis- 
sionaries abroad, more convinced, than at present, 
of the high importance of employing, as far as 
practicable, the converted natives as agents in 
carrying on the great work of missions. Their 
sendees are extremely valuable as pioneers to 
enter upon new fields of labour. x\s it respects 
Polynesia, had it not been for their assistance, 
Christianity would have been confined within 
very narrow limits at the present day. They can 
endure more hardships than European and Ameri- 
can missionaries. Their constitution is adapted 
to the climate. Their mode of living much 
resembles that of the persons to whom they are 
sent. And one very important consideration is, 



112 VOLUNTEERS IN CHRIST^S SERVICE. 

they are less suspected of having other objects in 
view, prejudicial to the aborigines of the country. 
There is no lack of men to engage in this work. 
Many in these infant churches, whose hearts are 
full of compassion for perishing souls, and fired 
with ardent zeal for the extension of the Redeem- 
er's kingdom, are volunteering their services to 
go to any part of Polynesia to which the European 
missionaries may think proper to take them. 
Those who are willing and anxiously desirous to 
go as ambassadors to the heathen, are not all from 
among the lower classes, who have little or no 
sacrifice to make in leaving their native land and 
family connexions, but some of them are from 
the highest ranks, occupying exalted stations and 
possessing extensive influence. 

When Maunga, the principal chief on Tutuila, 
died, it was expected that his son, whose name is 
Pomare, would have succeeded him in the govern- 
ment. He might have done so had he wished ; 
but his heart was set upon another kingdom, and 
was desirous of honours and distinctions supe- 
rior to those connected with any civil station, how- 
ever exalted. His eyes had been opened to be- 
hold the glories of Redemption, and these had 



DESIRE TO LABOUR FOR CHRIST. 113 



eclipsed "the kingdoms of this world and the 
glory of them." This will appear evident from 
what fell from his own lips at their missionary 
meeting. After speaking on various points of 
interest, he said, "I will now disclose my own 
desire before this assembly, before God, and 
before the missionary. I have given my soul to 
Jesus, to be saved by him ; with him I leave it, 
and now I place my body at the disposal of the 
missionary. I am willing to go to any land of 
darkness to which he may send me. My desire 
is to die in the cause of Jesus, who was crucified 
for me. I wish to do the work of God, and / am 
willing to go to any savage land, or to remain in 
our own land. I leave it with the missionary ; 
let him choose." This was not the language of 
mere temporary excitement, for after some days 
had passed, having consulted with his wife, who 
appeared to be equally devoted, he repeated the 
same sentiments in public, and conversed privately 
with his missionary on the subject. He was, for 
a time, with several others, under special instruc- 
tion, and was very usefully employed in teaching 
and exhorting his own countrymen. 

He was taken by Mr. Heath, in the Camden, 



114 



A BLIND CHIEF. 



to one of the Islands called the New Hebrides. 
On the Camden's next visit his wife went to join 
him and assist in the missionary field, but just as 
she was anticipating the pleasure of a joyful 
meeting with him whom she loved, and with 
whom she hoped long to labour, she was informed 
that he had entered into that rest which remaineth 
for the people of God. 

A little before Mr. Williams left the Naviga- 
tors to take native teachers and locate them on the 
islands to the westward, a blind chief came into 
the house and said, " Teacher Williams, I am a 
blind man, but I have a great desire to go with 
you to the dark lands. Perhaps my being blind 
will make them pity me, and not kill me ; and 
whilst I can talk to them and tell them of Jesus, 
my boy (placing his hand on the head of his son, 
an interesting youth) can read and write, and so 
we can teach these things." It is scarcely pos- 
sible to conceive any thing more affecting and 
truly interesting than to see this pious, intelli- 
gent, and venerable chieftain, moved by love to 
Christ and compassion for souls, coming to the 
missionary, and expressing his "great desire" to 
leave his native country, and hazard his life among 



116 



MORAL COURAGE, 



savages in " the dark lands/ 9 tliat he might tell 
them about Jesus Christ and the "great salva- 
tion/' 

These native teachers, with but few exceptions, 
possess great moral courage. When attempts were 
made to introduce the gospel to Mangaia, two 
teachers and their wives were taken thither. They 
were all dressed in European attire. No sooner 
did they land upon the beach than a horde of sa- 
vages pounced upon them like eagles upon their 
prey. They threw down the nien ; and secured 
them. The bonnets and garments of the two fe- 
males were, in a few moments, torn to pieces, and 
their persons treated in the most brutal manner. 
It was with great difficulty that they could be 
rescued from the hands of the savages, and got 
again on board the vessel. When Mr. Williams 
returned to Raiatea, the scene of his labours, and 
gave to the people an account of his voyage, two 
unmarried men immediately offered their services 
to go to Mangaia and try if they could succeed in 
introducing the gospel to that island. They re- 
solved to take nothing with them but the word of 
God, that there might not be any thing to tempt 
the cupidity of the people. When the vessel was 



INTRODUCTION OF THE GOSPEL. 



117 



near to the island, they bound cloth round their 
heads, similar to large turbans, in which they care- 
fully placed the word of God. They then lowered 
themselves into the sea, and swam to the shore, 
having "the everlasting gospel to preach" to those 
savages. They landed on the beach, took the word 
of God from their heads, and began to converse 
wdth the people about it, telling them how happy 
the neighbouring islanders had become, where they 
had received that word ; that they had ceased to 
fight, and were dwelling together in harmony and 
love ; that they were no longer worshipping idols, 
but were serving Jehovah, the living and true God. 
The people listened to these things with great as- 
tonishment. They gave the two teachers a kind 
reception, and attended to their instructions. In 
a short time they demolished their heathen temples, 
abandoned their idols, erected a large place of wor- 
ship, and from that time to this have enjoyed the 
privileges of the gospel. Had it not been for the 
ardent zeal and the undaunted courage of those 
two single men, it is probable that the island of 
Mangaia would long have continued enveloped in 
the thick darkness of heathenism, and many souls 
would have perished for lack of knowledge. 



118 TEACHERS SENT TO EROMANGA. 

When it was known among the Islands that Mr. 
Williams had been killed at Eromanga, the first 
proposition made by the people was of a character 
worthy of their Christian profession. It was not 
to take their clubs and spears and go, in large 
numbers, to avenge the death of their beloved 
friend, who had fallen a victim to the cruel 
savages on that island; but that native teachers 
should be sent to carry to those blood-stained 
shores, the Gospel of Peace, believing that to be 
the best method that could possibly be adopted, 
to subdue their ferocious spirits, and lead them 
joyfully to receive and kindly to treat European 
missionaries, who, at some future period, might 
go to reside among them. Two natives had the 
moral courage to offer their services for that par- 
ticular field of missionary enterprise. They were 
taken thither by Mr. Heath. The chiefs, in 
whose charge they were left, promised to behave 
kindly to them and to attend to their instructions. 
Instead of this, scarcely had the Camden dis- 
appeared in the distant horizon, when these chiefs 
strictly prohibited, on pain of death, the people of 
Eromanga from giving, or selling, these teachers 
any food. Captain Croker having pointed out to 



TEACHERS SENT TO EROMANGA, 



119 



them the serious consequences which would follow 
if they killed any more missionaries, it appears 
that they were afraid to lay violent hands upon 
them, but were determined to starve them to 
death. They were soon reduced to such a state of 
weakness, that they were confined to their mats, 
and must have died, had not a kind providence 
put it into the heart of a native, living about four 
miles distant, to pity them in their distress. This 
man used to take them a small basket of food 
daily, but he was afraid to go into their little 
cottage with it, and therefore watched an oppor- 
tunity, when no one was near, to lift up the 
thatch, put it over, drop it down inside, and 
immediately go back to his own dwelling. 

Thus were these two volunteers in the cause of 
Christ preserved alive till they were taken off by 
Mr. Murray, who visited that island in the Cam- 
den about twelve months after they had been taken 
thither, It is not more difficult to recognise the 
interposition of Providence, in the preservation of 
these native teachers, than in the case of Elijah 
fed by the ravens. 

These two persons were left by Mr. Murray at 
the Isle of Pines, and were to return to the Nayi- 



120 WILLINGNESS TO DIE FOR CHRIST. 



gators by the first opportunity. A few months 
having elapsed, Captain Ebrill arrived in the brig 
Star, who kindly received them on board to take 
them home. His object in visiting the Isle of 
Pines was to obtain sandal-wood. Several other 
Foreigners having been there a little time before, 
for the same purpose, and treated the natives in 
the most cruel manner, they now took revenge. 
They killed the Captain and crew, and burnt the 
vessel. These two native teachers were massacred 
with the ship's company. 

Among the teachers that went with Mr. Wil- 
liams in the Camden, with the new of being placed 
on the new Hebrides, or some of the neighbouring 
islands, there were two from Rarotonga. Mr. Pit- 
man and Mr. Buzacott pointed out to them the 
dangers to which they would probably be exposed 
in landing among savages. They manifested the 
greatest willingness to hazard their lives in attempt- 
ing to plant the standard of the Cross on any 
island to which they might be appointed. "When 
it was intimated that the loss of life might be the 
result, they replied, " Be it so ; it is the cause of 
God ; he will shield us from harm ; if not, we can- 
not die in a work more glorious/'' One of them 



WILLINGNESS TO DIE FOR CHRIST. 121 

said to Mr. Pitman, " Look at these scars \ these 
I got in heathen wars. I was marked out, and 
sought for, as a sacrifice, but eluded my pursuers 
by secreting myself in the mountains. Often have 
I wondered how I escaped ; but now it is all plain 
— the love of God, through Christ my Saviour. 
Cheerfully, therefore, will I devote that life to him 
who has redeemed me with his blood." His part- 
ing language to his son and daughter, who re- 
mained at Rarotonga, was equally interesting and 
affecting. After giving them good advice in re- 
ference to their future conduct, he said, "Do not 
be cast down, nor allow of immoderate grief, should 
you hear I have been killed by the heathen, for I 
am willing to die in such a cause, if God calls me 
to such an end. Had not Jesus shown mercy to 
me, in leading my feet into the path of life, I should 
have perished. Willingly therefore do I go forth to 
this work of my Saviour. If I die by the hand of 
the heathen, it will be because God permits it. If 
I live, I purpose to do what I can to lead their souls 
to Jesus, who is the Saviour of the world." With 
such feelings did this good man go forth to pre- 
pare the way for better qualified teachers here- 
after. He had moral courage to brave the dangers 

M 



122 



ABUNDANT SUCCESS. 



to which he must necessarily be exposed in going 
among savages, and to encounter all the difficul- 
ties arising from the nature of his work. He would 
cheerfully and confidently say, "None of these 
things move me, neither count I my life dear unto 
myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, 
and the ministry which I have received of the Lord 
Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." 

On many of the islands, God has crowned with 
abundant success the exertions of these humble 
and zealous labourers in his vineyard. The de- 
partment in which they have been particularly 
useful, is that of introducing the gospel into new 
fields of labour. When the European missionaries 
settled on the Hervey Islands and the Navigators, 
they found the fallow ground broken up ; the good 
seed of the kingdom had been sown ; it had taken 
root; here and there it had sprung up. They ar- 
rived just in time to share in the first fruits of what 
has since yielded an abundant harvest. Multitudes 
of the heathen had cast their idols to the moles 
and the bats, and were openly professing Christi- 
anity. Schools had been established, chapels had 
been erected, and Christian worship regularly per- 
formed. Who were the acting agents — the ho- 



SUCCESS OF NATIVE TEACHERS. 



123 



noured instruments in effecting these things ? 
Those devoted men who had gone as the messen- 
gers of the churches from the neighbouring- 
islands. 

With the exception of an occasional visit from 
European missionaries for a day or two, only na- 
tive teachers have been labouring on the small 
islands, and their efforts have been greatly blessed. 
Churches have been formed, and from time to time 
accessions have been made to those churches from 
among those who have been brought to a know- 
ledge of the truth by their instrumentality. Some 
few years ago I visited Raivavai, where the native 
teacher was labouring, who was formerly a hea- 
then priest, the first in the South Sea Islands who 
destroyed his idols, On the Sabbath which I spent 
there, forty- six persons were received into commu- 
nion. When Mr. Williams and I visited a few of 
the islands, not long before he fell on the shores of 
Eromanga, at Atiu, about forty new members were 
admitted; at Aitutaki twenty-five were added to 
the Church. I might refer to many other islands 
which I have visited, where these humble instru- 
ments have not only overthrown idolatry, and 
pulled down the strongholds of Satan, but have, 



124 CHARACTER OF NATIVE TEACHERS 



for years, been successfully employed in building 
that temple, the top stone of which will be brought 
forth with shoutings of " Grace, grace unto it/' 

Mr. Ellis, speaking of the native teachers at 
the Sandwich Islands, who went thither from the 
Society Islands, says, " Taua continues faithful, 
vigilant, humble, and very useful; his amiable 
character, and successful application to his work, 
is every day increasing. The brethren at Lahaina 
speak of him at all times in the highest terms. 
His letters to me, and the interviews I have had 
with him in my frequent visits to Maui, speak 
highly in his favour. Taamotu, the female teacher 
that accompanied us, is now very usefully engaged 
in the family of Kaikioeva, the guardian of the 
young prince Kauikeouli. She continues humble 
and prayerful, and is very much respected by the 
chiefs/ 3 

Mr. Pitman, referring to Meretu, his native 
assistant, says, " I had an opportunity, for five 
months previous to my leaving the station (being, 
from great debility, and almost entire loss of voice, 
unable to preach, ) of witnessing the attention paid 
to the faithful and affectionate addresses of this 
intelligent young man, whom God mercifully 



COLLEGES FOR NATIVE AGENTS. 125 



raised up in time of need to my assistance. It 
was with feelings of indescribable pleasure that I 
saw the listening multitude, about three thousand 
in number,, Sabbath after Sabbath, fix their eyes 
upon the preacher, and apparently devour his 
words as they fell from his lips. To me no sight 
on earth could be more acceptable, especially as 
the preacher himself was one to whom my feeble 
labours had been made useful. He is a young 
man of good talents for public speaking, mild in 
disposition, a diligent student of the Scriptures, 
and, I do hope, is marked out by the Head of the 
Church as an efficient preacher of the gospel to his 
fellow-sinners. May he be kept humble, and be 
found faithful even unto death/'' Upwards of 
thirty individuals have stated to Mr. Pitman that 
they were first seriously impressed under the dis- 
courses of this interesting young man. There are 
doubtless many happy spirits, now in glory, who 
will bless God through eternity for the labours of 
native teachers. 

With a view of better qualifying native agents, 
two colleges have been established, and a third is 
about to be commenced, in which young men of 
piety and talents, anxious to engage in the work 



126 



NATIVE AGENTS INDISPENSABLE. 



of the Lord, are admitted and instructed in theo- 
logy and other important branches of useful know- 
ledge. It is hoped that, ere long, many of the 
churches in Polynesia will be furnished with in- 
telligent and zealous native pastors. When we 
think of the claims which the millions of China 
and the East Indies have upon the churches in 
Christendom, we cannot expect that a large pro- 
portion of the money and men raised for foreign 
service will be devoted to the isles of the Pacific ; 
hence it is important to obtain well qualified 
agents from the native converts themselves. These 
can be supported at a very trilling expense, and 
they will be at home in their own climate, well 
acquainted with the languages, manners, customs, 
superstitions, prejudices, and peculiarities of the 
people. The apostles acted thus; they ordained 
pastors in every place from among the native con- 
verts. 

We ought not to consider Christianity as firmly 
established, in any country, till they furnish their 
own ministers, cheerfully support them, and feel 
the cause to be their own. Missionaries will do 
well to keep this constantly in view, and consider 
it a very important pain: of their labours to select 



NATIVE AGENTS INDISPENSABLE. 127 

and train agents suitable for carrying on the work 
on an extensive scale with permanency and suc- 
cess. In Polynesia, that mighty moral machine 
is already in operation, by which the abundance 
of the seas will be converted unto God. The isles 
that are now waiting for " His Law" will, ere 
long, by this native agency, have that law carried 
to their own shores, and thus will be fulfilled the 
language of the prophet, cc They who sat in dark- 
ness have seen a great light, and to them who sat 
in the region of the shadow of death light has 
sprung up." 



128 



CHAPTER VII. 

Schools. — Infant Schools. — Schools for older Children. — Poly- 
nesian Children not deficient in Intellect. — Proficiency in Read- 
ing, Writing, and Arithmetic. — Annual Examinations. — Euro- 
pean Clothing. — Native manufactured Ribbons. — Speeches of 
two Boys and a Teacher. — Visit to the Schools on Rarotonga. 
— Children sing Hosanna. — Impression produced. — Boarding- 
Schools. — Schools for the Sons of the Chiefs. — Boarding-Schools 
for Girls. — Seminary at Wailuku. — At Hilo. — The High School 
on Maui. — The various Branches of Study. — Sabbath Schools. 
— Retentive Memory. — Visits of Captains and others. — Correct 
Views of Divine Truth. — Great Good effected. — Moral Influ- 
ence. — Death of a School Girl. — Two Boys in a Boat. — Chil- 
dren's Letter and Presents. — Civilization promoted. — Many 
Children have become pious. — Nurseries for the Church. — 
Happy Deaths. — Many School Children now in Heaven. — 
Best Teachers. — Teacher's Meetings. — Some become Mission- 
aries. — Gratuitous Labours of the Teachers. 

Missionaries consider it to be an indispensable 
duty to pay special attention to the young ; hence, 
wherever they introduce the gospel, schools are 
immediately established. The adults, among the 
heathen, may, and many of them do, give most 
satisfactory evidence of real conversion to God ; 
but we cannot expect them to make great attain- 
ments in general knowledge. We may anticipate 



INFANT SCHOOLS. 



129 



greater things from the rising generation. In 
order to this, there must be a course of suitable 
training, and this becomes a very important and 
laborious part of missionary work. The greatest 
difficulties in carrying on these schools, so as to 
be interesting and profitable to the children, arise 
from the want of suitable apparatus. The mis- 
sionary's ingenuity is not a little taxed, to devise 
plans by which he may secure the cheerful and 
undivided attention of the children, and pour into 
their tender minds the light of science, and daily 
augment their stock of general knowledge. 

Infant schools have been established on plans 
similar to those pursued in infant schools in Eng- 
land. I have been deeply interested in seeing and 
hearing the little creatures, while repeating their 
lessons and going through their various ma- 
noeuvres. They are taught the alphabet by sing- 
ing and marching to the tune called " Cottage." 
After they have spent a little time in reading, spel- 
ling, and answering questions, you may see them 
clapping their hands, their countenances indi- 
cating extreme delight, then imitating various 
mechanics, as sawyers, blacksmiths, tailors, shoe- 
makers, &c. One little fellow will put up his 



130 



SCHOOLS FOR CHILDREN. 



hand as high as he can reach; and sing out, 
" This is perpendicular.^ A second will put out 
his hand on a level before him, saying, " This is 
horizontal/'' A third will stretch out his arm, 
and say, " This is a straight line/' A fourth 
holding out both arms, shouting, " These are pa- 
rallel lines A fifth bending his arm a little, will 
say, " This is a curve/ 3 A sixth holding out his 
arm, considerably bent in at the elbow, saying, 
" This is an angle. 99 And a seventh whirling his 
finger round in the air, and crying out, " This is 
a circle/ 3 They are very fond of singing, and can 
perform several little pieces in a very pleasing 
manner. 

Schools for children at a more advanced age are 
very general \ hence many thousands, in Polyne- 
sia, are now under daily instruction. They are 
taught reading, writing, and arithmetic ; they also 
learn catechisms, by which they obtain much use- 
ful knowledge, and correct views of Divine truth. 
The instruction communicated is of such a cha- 
racter as, under the blessing of God, to fit them 
for usefulness in this world, and happiness in the 
world to come. 

The children in this part of the globe do not 
appear to be at all deficient in intellect \ only let 



PROFICIENCY IN LEARNING. 



131 



them have the same privileges as are enjoyed by 
children in our own country, and they will make 
equally rapid progress in the acquisition of know- 
ledge. Many of them can read correctly and flu- 
ently. As a proof that they have made some 
proficiency in the art of writing, epistolary cor- 
respondence is very common. With respect to 
arithmetic, they go through the simple rules 
with great ease, and the compound rules with 
but little difficulty. I have seen some of them 
work bills of parcels in quite as little time as 
the same would have been done by the gene- 
rality of English school-boys. Mr. Armstrong, 
an American missionary, speaking of some of 
the schools on Maui, in which he had been en- 
gaged two days examining the children, says, " I 
have been much delighted with their improve- 
ment, especially in arithmetic. Many of the little 
boys and girls, from twelve to fifteen years old, 
will unravel the most difficult sums in Colburn's 
Mental Arithmetic with perfect ease." 

In some of the schools they have an annual exa- 
mination, which is usually held in May, either the 
day before or the day after the missionary meet- 
ing. On these occasions they have what is gene- 
rally called the Children's feast, when they all dine 



132 



ANNUAL EXAMINATION. 



together. They are dressed in their best, and, as 
far as possibly in European clothing. With great 
delight they anticipate the return of that day, and 
are long preparing for it, making hats, bonnets, 
and dresses of all kinds. Some, who cannot get 
European articles, imitate them so closely, that 
strangers can scarcely perceive the difference. A 
year or two ago, some gentlemen, belonging to a 
ship of war, were admiring what they supposed to 
be red ribbons on the bonnets of some of the school 
girls ; nor could they believe to the contrary, till 
I requested them to feel it and carefully to exa- 
mine it. It was the inner bark of the Hibiscus, 
coloured with a preparation made from red berries, 
&e. The children and their teachers walk through 
the settlement with banners flying, displaying va- 
rious mottoes and devices. One will have a dove, 
with an olive branch ; another with a God save the 
Queen and a third, " God bless our Teachers." 
Having arrived at the chapel, the missionary gives 
them an address, and the examination commences. 
Mr. Pitman, giving an account of one of these exa- 
minations of the children at his station on Raro- 
tonga, says, " It was a sight which would have 
filled many British Christians with holy delight : 



ANNUAL EXAMINATION. 



133 



nearly the whole body of our large chapel was 
thronged with children. The hymns were read by 
lads of the school, and sung by all the children. 
A lad, about eleven years of age, read the sixty- 
fifth chapter of Isaiah, which he had previously 
translated from the Tahitian. Classes of boys and 
girls were minutely examined in the Tahitian 
Scriptures, which had been selected for them to 
translate into this dialect. My elder lads trans- 
lated from the Tahitian, and read in this dialect 
a little tract, entitled ( Miro and Burau/ which 
much interested their parents. Others were exa- 
mined from books in their own dialect. I then 
asked them promiscuous questions from their cate- 
chisms, and questioned them on their respective 
answers, to which they replied with readiness and 
accuracy. After giving a short address, I con- 
cluded this interesting sendee by commending 
our schools to the watchful care of the best of 
Teachers." The examination being finished, they 
dine together under an awning put up for 
the purpose, or beneath the shady foliage of 
the gigantic trees which abound in every 
direction. 

On one of these occasions, when the children 

N 



134 SPEECHES OF NATIVE BOYS. 



and teachers were dining together, several of the 
elder boys spoke in a very interesting manner. 
One of the youths, after speaking on the goodness 
of God manifested towards them, and contrasting 
their present conduct with their former vile prac- 
tices, turned to some of the young lads near him, 
and very emphatically said, " TThose are ye ? 
Whose servants will you be ? As for me, my de- 
sire is towards the Lord. I will be the Lord's • 
the desire of my heart is to be instructed in his 
word, that I may be his." This was said in atone, 
and with an emphasis, which produced great im- 
pression on many who heard him. A little boy, 
about twelve years old, then stood up and said, 
" Friends, it is written, c Him that cometh unto 
me, I will in no wise cast out/ These words I 
delight to think of, because they are the words of 
Christ to us sinners, whom he has compassionated 
in this land." He then exhorted his school- 
fellows to come to Christ ; to forsake all evil prac- 
tices, and think only of Christ. At the conclu- 
sion, one of the teachers rose and made a few per- 
tinent remarks upon that passage, " I have no 
greater joy than to hear that my children walk 
in the truth. This joy," said he, "is our mis- 



VISIT TO THE SCHOOLS. 



135 



sionary's ; for whose children are we ? Are we not 
his who instructs us, who exhorts us, and who 
teaches us to walk in the good path ? do not 
let us grieve him by our misconduct." 

When I was at Rarotonga, a few years ago, I 
visited the schools, and was exceedingly delighted 
with what I saw and heard. I called in upon them 
without any previous notice being given them of 
my intention to do so, consequently there could 
be no preparations made for a display. I saw 
them just as they may be seen from day to day. 
I went first to Mr. Pitman's school at Gnatagniia, 
where I found about 1000 children assembled, and 
orderly arranged in classes, with a teacher and a 
monitor to each class. It was truly delightful to 
look over the school and see so many hundreds of 
boys and girls learning to read and write. 

The school-house has been erected by the na- 
tives, without any expense to the Missionary So- 
ciety. It measures 72 feet by 32 inside. The 
walls are 16 feet high and 2 feet thick. They are 
built with a species of porcelain coral, so hard as 
to ring with a metallic sound when struck. The 
lime is formed of burnt coral, mixed with river- 
sand. There are 16 windows and 4 doors, each 



VISIT TO THE SCHOOLS. 



137 



of them arched with hewn blocks of soft coral, and 
the whole building is plastered and stuccoed on the 
outside, in imitation of cut stone. The roof is 
composed of thatch, laid upon a framework of 
sawn timber, and the beams are formed of iron- 
w T ood. 

Another day I w r ent to the school at Avarua, 
Mr. Buzacott's station, where there appeared to be 
about 800 present. I entered just as the children 
had assembled ; and as it is their custom to com- 
mence by singing, one of the boys was requested 
to give out a hymn. A youth, about thirteen or 
fourteen years of age, went into the superinten- 
dent's desk, and read out distinctly, and w r ith the 
greatest composure imaginable, a hymn in their 
own language. That the reader may form some 
idea of what they sang, I w T ill give the first verse 
in English : — 

" When his salvation bringing, 
To Zion Jesus came, 
The children all stood singing 

Hosanna to his name. 
Nor did their zeal offend him, 

But as he rode along, 
He let them still attend him, 
And iisten'd to their song. 
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna, hosanna, 
Hosanna to Jesus we'll sing. 1 ' 



138 CHILDREN SING HOSANNA. 



After the lad had read the whole of the hymn 
in his own language, they all stood up, and as 
with one heart and one voice, sang, most sweetly, 
" Hosanna to the Son of David." It was quite 
overpowering. I was deeply affected. Could it 
have been otherwise with any one acquainted with 
their former character and condition ? Only a 
few years before, the children on that island were 
running about naked and filthy, indulging in all 
kinds of vice, and actually eating human flesh, 
but are now daily assembling in the school-house, 
receiving Christian instruction, and singing the 
praises of Jehovah. Having sung the hymn, they 
attended to the duties devolving upon them in 
their separate classes ; after which I was requested 
to address them, when I gave them some account 
of the schools at Tahiti and other islands. After 
exhorting them to diligence in the acquisition of 
knowledge and a right improvement of the privi- 
leges they enjoy, I commended them to God in 
prayer, and said farewell. On that island there 
are more than three thousand of the rising genera- 
tion in the schools receiving Christian education. 

On some of the islands boarding-schools have 
been established, from which may be expected 



SCHOOLS FOR SONS OF CHIEFS. 139 

very beneficial results. The children in these 
seminaries are, in a great measure, excluded from 
the influence of bad examples, to which they 
would otherwise be exposed ; they are brought 
under better discipline and enjoy the privileges of 
a well-regulated family, and consequently make 
far more rapid advances in the manners and 
customs of civilized life. 

As in a few years the most important offices 
will be filled by the sons of the chiefs, schools 
have been opened for their special benefit, with a 
view of their becoming enlightened, intelligent 
Christian rulers. For a time, the chiefs were 
unwilling to have their children excluded from a 
train of attendants, which they considered as 
being essential to the very existence of a chief. 
But being convinced of the advantages arising 
from a good education, they now dispense with 
whatever the good of their children may require, 
and cheerfully give them in charge to a missionary 
to be brought up entirely by him. On Tahiti, 
a suitable building has been erected and an in- 
stitution established for the sons of the chiefs, 
in which they are taught the English language, 
Another of a similar character is going on pros- 



140 



BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS. 



perously at the Sandwich Islands, under the 
charge of Mr. and Mrs, Cooke. 

It is of the highest importance that the youths 
who have enjoyed superior advantages should, as 
they grow up, be furnished with suitable partners. 
TS ithout this, there can be but little reciprocity 
of feeling, and consequently not much domestic 
happiness. They may assume the appearance 
of a civilized people, but they will not enjoy 
those blessings which are inseparably connected 
with Christian civilization. With a view of ele- 
vating the moral condition of the females and 
providing intelligent and domesticated women 
capable of managing their family affairs with 
discretion, boarding-schools have been established 
for girls. One of the missionaries at the Sandwich 
Islands, speaking on this subject, says, a The female 
seminary at TTailuku is at present in a very pros- 
perous state. The number of pupils has been 
increased to forty-nine. The blessing of heaven 
seems to have rested very signally on that institu- 
tion. Several have been hopefully converted and 
are respectable members of the Church. The 
labours of Miss Ogden have been very useful in 
teaching the girls to sew, knit, and spin. Those 



BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS. 141 

who have visited Wailuku have testified, with but 
one voice, to the very encouraging appearance 
and prospects of the school. Until the experiment 
was tried, we could not have believed it possible 
to have so perfectly secluded the little girls from 
their parents and friends, and they remain so 
happy. A happier little group is seldom seen." 

The following very interesting account, by Mr. 
Coan, of a similar school at Hilo, will be read 
with pleasure by the friends of female education. 
"Mrs. Coan determined to open and sustain a 
boarding-school for girls with her own hands, and 
with such native help as she could command. 
So soon as her plans were made known to the 
Church and people, they came cheerfully forward, 
and with great promptness erected a comfortable 
native building for the school, the women con- 
tributing native cloth, mats, &c. to furnish the 
house. The number of little girls in the school 
is twenty, and their ages from seven to ten years. 
Their food is supplied by the weekly contributions 
of the people, in the following manner. The 
country lying immediately around the station is 
divided into five sections, each district containing 
a population from two to five hundred. These 



142 



BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS. 



districts supply the school with food for one 
week each, in regular rotation, by voluntary con- 
tribution. Each individual, who is of a willing 
heart, brings a single taro, a potatoe, or a fish, as 
he conies up to the house of God to attend the 
regular Wednesday lecture. Several hundred 
potatoes or taros thus put together make a heap, 
on which the school is fed for a week, while the 
cheerful donors perceive no diminution to their 
own little stock. When the districts have all 
fulfilled their weeks, they commence again, and 
thus, like the earth, move round in a perpetual 
circle, shedding constant blessings in their revolu- 
tions. For some time past, a part of the people 
have engaged, on each monthly concert day,* in 
planting food as a supply of the future wants of 
the school. The principal food of the little girls 
is taro, potatoes, fish, and arrow-root, with occa- 
sional supplies of cabbage, melons, bananas, sugar- 
cane, &c. They all sit and eat at a common table 
in English style. 

" They are clothed in a cheap cotton fabric, 
which, together with table furniture, books, cards, 
maps, stationery, &c. are furnished by Mrs. Coan. 

* The Missionary Prayer-meeting. 



BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS. 



143 



Two native assistants are employed in the school 
and paid regular wages. Attached to the school- 
building is a garden, containing many beautiful 
trees, such as the oriental lilac, the mimosa, the 
guava, the mango, the tamarind, the fig, the 
lemon, the coffee, and the mulberry, besides a 
great number of beautiful flowering plants. The 
garden is surrounded and intersected by gravelled 
walks, and divided into little sections, each pupil 
being responsible for the neatness and good order 
of one section, while all unite in keeping the 
walks and the common pleasure-grounds in good 
taste. A little rill passes through the garden, 
and this, with a convenient bath, adds greatly to 
the beauty and comfort of the place, under these 
tropical skies. 

" All the children engage in weeding their 
flower-beds, gravelling their walks, or in some 
other free and gentle labour, daily. Their hours 
for eating, sleeping, labour, recreation, study, and 
devotion, are all defined. Hitherto they have 
been taught reading, writing, geography, natural 
history, arithmetic, singing, sewing, braiding, 
and a few other things. Their progress has been 
very gratifying. Some of them entered the 



144 BOARDING SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS. 



school without a knowledge of the alphabet. All 
are now tolerable readers, and all have acquired 
a considerable amount of knowledge on most of 
the above-named branches. 

" The government of the school has been re- 
markably easy. Corporeal punishment has never 
been called for but in one case, and stern reproof 
has hardly been known in the school. I hazard 
nothing in saying that I never, in any country, 
saw a school of twenty little children so uniformly 
meek, quiet, gentle, docile, and industrious, as 
these little girls. They are a company of bright 
faces and happy hearts. No one wishes to leave 
the school. All are cheerful as the lark, and by 
their obedient and affectionate manners, they 
have entwined themselves closely around the 
hearts of those to whose care they are com- 
mitted. 

" But the crowning blessing of all is the pre- 
cious influences of the Holy Spirit in the school. 
These influences have continually descended in 
soft showers like the gentle rain and the early 
dew. The attention of the scholars can always 
be arrested by the subject of religion ; and when 
they are affectionately addressed on this subject, 



MISSION SEMINARY, 



145 



the fixed eye, the solemn inquisitive look, and 
the silent tear, tell the operations of the Holy 
Agent within. Their consciences are very tender, 
and there is reason to believe that the hearts of 
many of them have been formed into the image 
of Christ. Eleven of their number are members 
of the Church, and they have thus far adorned 
their profession. 

" Our prayer is, that these dear little ones may all 
indeed be the daughters of Abraham, and that this 
unpretending school may live to shed a mild and 
heavenly light upon the degraded females around : 
that, mingling its taper rays with the broader and 
brighter beams of other schools and seminaries 
already risen, and which shall hereafter arise, it 
may help to dispel the darkness which still rests 
heavily on the Hawaiian nation." 

In the year 1831, a most valuable institution 
was commenced on Maui. It is called " The High 
School" and is under the superintendence of five 
directors, one of whom is the principal. This 
institution is intended, not only to educate teach- 
ers for the common schools, but also to prepare 
young men of piety and talents for the various 
departments of missionary labour, and for pro- 

o 



146 



MISSION SEMINARY. 



moting a knowledge of the arts and sciences 
among their own countrymen. Candidates for 
admission are examined in reading, writing, the 
first principles of arithmetic and geography. 




MISSION SEMINARY AT LAHAINALUNA. 



The accompanying cut is a view of the semi- 
nary. The engraving from which this was taken, 
was made by the pupils themselves on copper. I 
have seen maps and other engravings executed by 
the native youths in this seminary, which have 
greatly astonished me, especially considering the 
difficulties they had to encounter from the want 
of suitable tools and appropriate instruction. In 



MISSION SEMINARY. 



147 



a letter from Mr. Clarke, one of the tutors, dated 
at Lahainaluna, October 25, 1838, we have the 
following account of the seminary at that period. 
" The school now contains sixty pupils, all board- 
ing scholars. Nineteen of them have been ad- 
mitted to the Church the past year, and most of 
them are the subjects of an interesting revival 
which took place in the school early in the spring. 
Some of them bid fair to be very efficient helpers 
in our work. They even now furnish a great 
part of the matter for the 'Kuniu Hawaii/* and 
are in this way speaking to their more ignorant 
countrymen. Their engravings speak for them- 
selves. I have now a class in navigation, a 
branch of study to which they have long desired 
to attend, owing to their proximity to the sea and 
intercourse with seafaring men. They will soon 
have a far better knowledge of this art, than 
graduates generally in America. So far as capa- 
city is concerned, we have every encouragement 
to go forward. The results of the school thus far 
have more than answered our expectations. The 
present circumstances of the people demand that 
the school should be increased and carried forward 

* A newspaper in the native language. 



148 



BRANCHES OF STUDY. 



as fast as possible. We shall not be satisfied 
until the school is made worthy the name of Poly- 
nesian College. We believe it is destined to be a 
great blessing, not only to these islands, but to 
other parts of the Pacific." 

It must afford pleasure to every philanthropic 
mind to think of the thousands of children and 
youth now under daily instruction on these 
islands, where, till lately, all were in a state of 
the deepest ignorance and the grossest barbarity. 
The branches of study to which, more or less, 
attention has been given in the various schools, 
has been as extensive as the limits of Polynesian 
science and literature would allow. Their young 
minds have been ranging the scale of education 
from a, b, c, up to the elements of astronomy and 
natural philosophy. 

With special reference to the spiritual welfare 
of the children, Sabbath-schools have been estab- 
lished at all the mission stations. Almost all the 
children on the islands where they have received 
the gospel, attend these schools. They meet 
twice on the Sabbath, about an hour and a half 
prior to the forenoon service, and two hours in 



RETENTIVE MEMORY. 



149 



the afternoon. They usually commence with sing- 
ing. A short address is then given, and prayer 
offered. After this they read and repeat what 
they may have learnt during the preceding week. 
They then walk into the chapel two by two, with 
the teachers at the head of their respective classes, 
and take their seats in the house of God. Their 
behaviour there is quite as good as that of the 
children in Great Britain. In the afternoon they 
are interrogated upon what they have heard in 
the morning. Their retentive memories have fre- 
quently surprised and delighted me. One will 
repeat the text ; another something stated in the 
introduction of the discourse; another the first 
division of the subject ; another the first subdi- 
vision under that ; and thus go on from one par- 
ticular to another till, in the course of a quarter of 
an hour or twenty minutes, they have given back 
to the missionary all the leading ideas which he 
had delivered in the morning. They commit to 
memory catechisms and large portions of the 
Sacred Scriptures, and thus get their minds well 
stored with important truth. Three little girls 
and two boys repeated to Mr. Pitman one Sabbath 



150 



VISITS TO THE SCHOOL. 



three hundred and fifty-six verses, and his own 
servant-girl, eighty-seven, which they had learnt 
during the preceding week. 

While these things are mentioned to show the 
strength of their memories, it must be understood 
that the object aimed at in those schools, is not 
to get the children to commit to memory a great 
deal, but to lead them rightly to understand what 
they learn. 

When captains of ships of war and other gen- 
tlemen have called at Tahiti, I have frequently 
taken them to the school and requested them to 
ask the children any questions they chose. In 
several instances they have been so pleased with 
what they saw and heard, that they have sent on 
board their vessels for little articles to give to the 
children, as presents to encourage them in the 
acquisition of knowledge. I have proposed to 
them questions relative to the character of God, 
the creation of the world, man's original state, the 
fall, the history of the children of Israel, Scrip- 
ture characters, the prophecies concerning the 
Messiah, the way of salvation, death, judgement, 
a future state, and various other topics, and have 
received from boys and girls, averaging from six 



GREAT GOOD EFFECTED. 



151 



to fourteen years of age ; such answers as have 
proved, that many of them, though young, have 
clear, correct, and extensive views of Divine 
truth * 

From these statements, it may be seen that 
great good has already been effected by these 
schools. A very large amount of valuable infor- 
mation has been communicated. Hence those 
who have received it must be better prepared for 

* Many who have been taught in these schools have not only 
been greatly benefited themselves, both for time and eternity, but 
have also become very efficient auxiliaries in the missionary cause. 
Malatai (or Malachi), the son of an influential chief, who was en- 
gaged in the war at Aana, became a pupil in Mr. Heath's school 
on the island of Manono. Being a quick, intelligent lad, he soon 
took the lead among his school-fellows, and ultimately became Mr. 
Heath's assistant in preaching and teaching at his stations. He 
was afterwards removed to Solosolo, a populous village on Upolu, 
where he held daily, at sun-rise, an adult school ; after breakfast, 
for two hours, an infant-school, and in the afternoon he taught 
writing. He had an adult school again in the evenings, except on 
Wednesdays and Fridays, when he preached to the people. On 
the Sabbath morning, at sunrise, he conducted a prayer-meeting, 
after which he preached and held a catechetical meeting for talking 
over the sermon. In the afternoon he had a school for the chil- 
dren, at the close of which he again preached, and examined the 
people on the subject of his discourse. At family worship, he 
usually had many of the neighbours present to talk over a portion 
of Scripture, or upon some interesting point which had attracted 
their attention dining the day. His wife, an intelligent woman, 
conducted the female department in the adult school. 



152 



MORAL INFLUENCE. 



the business of life. We cannot for a moment 
question the necessity of civil magistrates to act 
as a terror to evil-doers ; but we clearly perceive 
that these schools are exerting such a degree of 
moral influence over the minds of the rising gene- 
ration, as to prevent more crime, and raise these 
people higher in the scale of nations, than could 
possibly be effected by the best of laws and most 
vigilant police. Children, who would otherwise 
have been living in the love of sin, and the prac- 
tice of open and flagrant vices, have learned to 
love one another, to honour and obey their 
parents, to fear God, and keep his command- 
ments. 

A girl in the school, at the station where I 
reside, was so ill as to make it necessary to have 
persons to sit up with her. A school-fellow 
offered to sit up with her one night. It is custom- 
ary at Tahiti to erect a kind of summer-house, at 
a little distance from the proper dwelling, for any 
member of the family that may be ill. The sick 
girl was in a place of this description when her 
school-fellow sat up with her. About twelve o'clock 
that night she was taken with a rattling in her 
throat, and was evidently much worse. The young 



DEATH OF A SCHOOL-GIRL. 



153 



friend who was with her w r as alarmed, and first 
thought of running to call the father and mother 
and the other members of the family; then she 
thought it was not improbable that before she 
could return, her friend might be dead, therefore 
instead of leaving her, she knelt down by the bed- 
side and, by prayer, commended to God her dying 
school-fellow. While she was thus engaged, the 
spirit departed. Her bereaved relatives had not 
to sorrow as those who have no hope. There was 
something very pleasing about this girl when in 
health. She was cheerfully resigned to the divine 
will in her affliction. She had clear views of the 
way of salvation as revealed in the Scriptures, 
and appeared deeply concerned about her eternal 
welfare. 

One Saturday evening, two boys, about the age 
of fourteen, belonging to the same school, left 
Tahiti, in a large sailing-boat, with a view of 
going to Eimeo, an island about fifteen miles 
distant. They left Tahiti with a fair wind, expect- 
ing soon to be at anchor in the harbour at Eimeo. 
They had only got about half way across the 
channel when the heavens began to gather black- 
ness, the wind blew, the sea rose, and in a short 



154 



DELIVERANCE BY PRAYER. 



time they were in the most imminent danger. 
The boat not being decked, she was soon nearly 
half full of water, and lying over almost on her 
beam ends. The lad who was steering said to his 
companion, "Can you pray?" "No/ J was the 
reply. Then said he, "You come and steer, and I 
will pray." He knelt down and prayed that God 
would preserve them and deliver them from their 
perilous situation. God heard his prayer, but did 
not immediately answer the request by working a 
miracle for their deliverance. For some hours 
they appeared to be left to the mercy of the raging 
elements, expecting every moment to be buried in 
a watery grave. Early on the Sabbath morning 
the wind moderated and the sea went down con- 
siderably. A breeze now sprung up from another 
quarter which enabled them to run for the port 
they had left the preceding evening ; but when 
they arrived near the harbour, they found the sea 
was breaking violently all across the opening in 
the reef, through which they had to pass. They 
were afraid to venture, lest the boat should be 
swamped. One said to the other, " Let us pray 
again, before we attempt to go through." They 
again called upon God, entreating him still to 



children's letter. 



155 



preserve them. They then headed for the open- 
ing and, in a few minutes, were carried safely 
through, and got on shore in time for public 
worship. When I went into the chapel, I was 
surprised to see them seated in the gallery with 
the other Sabbath-school boys. They had hastened 
from the boat to the house of God, to thank him 
for the deliverance they had experienced. 

When one of the missionaries at Tahiti was 
about to visit his native country, the children in 
his Sabbath- school gave him a letter, of which the 
following is a translation, to take to the children 
in CarrV Lane Sabbath-school, Birmingham. 

" Tahiti, January \Qth, 1841. 

"to the children formerly TAUGHT BY MR. 

" Peace be with you. Your teacher is now going 
to you, that you may meet again. Receive him 
kindly. We now give him up that he may visit 
you, but it is with our love resting upon him; 
because he is a teacher that agrees well with us. 
He has taught us, and hence it is that we know 
the good word. We are children destitute of 
wisdom and knowledge. Exert yourselves, be 
diligent, pray to God for us, that a great many 



156 children's letter and presents. 

children in this settlement may enter the Church 
of Christ, that his Church may be in a very 
nourishing state among us. 

" Peace be with you, 

" MAURI. 
" For all the boys and girls" 

This letter was written by one of the girls, 
about thirteen years of age. She had been received 
into the Church, with three of her school-fellows, 
a short time before ; hence she might with pro- 
priety entreat the children in Birmingham to pray 
for them, that a great many of the Tahitian child- 
ren might enter the Church and the Church be in 
a nourishing condition. These children knew that 
their missionary had formerly been a teacher in 
that school ; he had often talked with them about 
it, and they thought he would be sure to bend his 
steps thither; on that account they addressed 
their letter to the children in that particular 
school. They accompanied their letter with a 
great variety of presents for the children to whom 
it was addressed, which consisted of various kinds 
of shells, native cloth, mats, ear ornaments made 
of human hair, and other curiosities. The mis- 



CIVILIZATION PROMOTED. 



157 



sionary had the pleasure of dividing these things 
among the children, at the Juvenile Missionary 
Meeting, and large as that school is, there was a 
sufficient number of articles for all the children 
and many of the teachers to have a share. The 
children in Birmingham were so delighted, that 
they wrote a letter in reply, and accompanied it 
with presents to their little friends at Tahiti. 

Civilization is, to a considerable extent, pro- 
moted by these schools. Many of those who for- 
merly were roaming about almost in a state of 
nudity are now well clad from day to day. They 
consider it a disgrace to appear slovenly. They 
begin to feel it an honour to be industrious, and 
are aware that there are certain things which be- 
come those who would be respectable. 

Much spiritual good has been effected by these 
schools. A few extracts will show that many of 
the children have been renewed in the spirit of 
their minds, and have become the children of God, 
by faith in Christ Jesus. Mr. Armstrong, refer- 
ring to the schools at his station, on East Maui, 
says, " Within our school limits, there are about 
1500 children in Sabbath schools. Many of the 
larger scholars have become serious, and not a few 

p 



158 CHILDREN BECOME PIOUS. 



have given such evidence of piety, as to induce us 
to receive them to the communion of the Church. 
Over fifty of these children, from ten to fourteen 
years of age, are now in regular fellowship with 
God's people."" 

Mr. Hitchcock, on the Island of Molokai, 
states, that " thirty of the scholars are now mem- 
bers of the Church, and several others are hope- 
fully pious. " 

Mr. Baldwin, labouring at Lahaina, after refer- 
ring to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon 
the girls' school at his station, says, " They were 
almost universally awakened to attend to the con- 
cerns of the soul, and comparatively few of them 
have returned to their former stupidity. Only 
twelve from this school have been received to the 
Church. But there may be, perhaps, two or three 
times as many more who give evidence of being 
born again, who will, we hope, in due time, be 
gathered in." 

These schools are as so many nurseries for the 
Church of Christ. We might refer to many other 
stations, where we should find that many acquisi- 
tions have been made to the churches from the 
schools connected with them. In these institu- 



NURSERIES FOR THE CHURCH. 159 



tions the seed of the kingdom springs up ; the 
tender plants are here sheltered from chilling 
blasts, which would nip the buds of early piety, 
and are watered with the dew of heaven, hence 
they shoot up as trees of righteousness; at a 
suitable age are transplanted into the sacred 
enclosure, the Church, the soil of which is con- 
genial to their nature, and favourable to their 
growth, where they will flourish and bring forth 
fruit, till at last they are removed to the Paradise 
above. 

Many of the young disciples, nurtured in these 
schools, have already been united with the Church 
triunrphant in heaven. A little boy, about eight 
years of age, belonging to one of these schools, 
being very ill, was visited by the missionary, who 
was much delighted with the correct and prompt 
manner in which he replied to the questions that 
were put to him. " Do you know who Jesus is V* 
enquired the missionary. " Yes/' replied the 
little boy, " he is the Son of God." " Whence 
came he?" "From heaven." "Why did he 
come into this world?" "To save sinners." 
" "Who are sinners?" "All mankind." "Are 
you a sinner ?" "Yes." " Do you pray to God?" 



160 



HAPPY DEATHS. 



"Yes, daily." " Do you ask Jesus to forgive 
you your sins?" "Yes, through his blood." 
Thus was he humbly relying upon the merits of 
the Redeemer, and looking for pardon through 
his atoning blood. Would not that Saviour, who, 
when on earth, said, " Suffer little children to 
come unto me," give this young disciple a hearty 
welcome into one of those mansions which he has 
gone to prepare ? 

One of the twelve girls admitted to Church fel- 
lowship at Lahaina only once partook of the me- 
morials of the Saviour's death. Immediately after 
being received into communion, she was called to 
her everlasting rest, to sit down at the marriage 
supper of the Lamb. She was about twelve or 
fourteen years of age. Her piety was fervent and 
sincere. Divine grace had made a most powerful 
and rapid work upon her soul. From the time 
her mind was first impressed till the day of her 
death, which was a period of about six months, 
her heart appeared to become more and more 
deeply interested in the things of the kingdom of 
Christ. During the three months prior to her 
death she was eminently a praying Christian. 
Having no private room to which she could retire 



HAPPY DEATHS. 



161 



for prayer, often has she been found in the bush 
near to her residence, pouring out her soul to God. 
Her chosen companions were those who loved 
prayer, and frequently united with her in that 
holy exercise. One of the church-members told 
the missionary that this girl had frequently gone 
to his house for the purpose of prayer, and that at 
such times his wife had been her companion at 
the throne of grace. The missionary's wife says, 
that when she has heard her pray in the children's 
prayer-meeting, a striking characteristic of her 
prayers was, that, young as she was, her mind 
would lay hold of some particular subject, and 
would persevere in that, as though she could not 
let God go till he had granted her request. In 
her sickness she expressed great delight in the 
prospect of departing to be with Christ. She had 
been ill only one week, when her happy spirit 
took its flight, to be for ever with the Lord. 

There can be no doubt but that many of the 
children trained in the schools in Polynesia are 
now before the throne of God in heaven, swelling 
the song of the redeemed, singing, "Unto him 
that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his 
own blood, and hath made us kings and priests 



162 



BEST TEACHERS. 



unto God and his Father ; to him be glory and 
dominion for ever and ever. Amen." 

The best of the native teachers now employed 
in communicating instruction to others have been 
furnished by these schools. Some of the most 
skilful generals in the army have been those who, 
in their youth, have been well chilled in the com- 
mon ranks. A few of our most gallant admirals 
in the navy were once before the mast as common 
sailors. And thus it is with these teachers, their 
minds having been disciplined in their youth, 
they are far better qualified for any important 
service in which they may engage in after-life. 
They sympathize with the children under their 
care, better suit themselves to the capacities of 
their little flock, and adopt the best methods of 
communicating ideas to those whom they under- 
take to instruct. 

It is now very common, in England, for Sab- 
bath-school teachers to have tea-meetings. In 
Polynesia we have something similar. As our 
teachers are not accustomed to take tea, they dine 
together. On these occasions many speeches are 
delivered, mostly on the subject of education. 
The missionary is in general present, and gives 



TEACHERS LABOUR GRATUITOUSLY. 163 

an address. After they have endeavoured to en- 
courage and stimulate each other to love and good 
works, they unite in imploring the Divine blessing 
upon themselves and upon the children committed 
to their charge. 

A few, who have been trained in those schools 
which have long been established, are now labour- 
ing as good missionaries of Jesus Christ among 
the heathen. One youth who was brought up in 
my own school at Tahiti, and who afterwards en- 
joyed further advantages in the " High School" at 
Lahainaluna, is now honourably and successfully 
employed as a missionary on one of the Sandwich 
Islands. 

Before we close this chapter, we must, in justice 
to the teachers, state, that most of them labour 
gratuitously. Many of them give their services 
daily, Saturdays only excepted, without receiving 
any remuneration whatever, save the satisfaction 
of doing good. It is, however, a question of no 
inconsiderable importance, and which deserves the 
attention of all the missionaries in Polynesia, 
whether it would not be better policy to allow a 
small salary to every efficient teacher, that, in- 
stead of having to labour other ways for his sup- 



164 REMUNERATION TO NATIVE TEACHERS. 

port, he might devote the whole of his time, and 
all his energies, to the great work in which he is 
engaged. This would allow him time for im- 
proving his own mind, by which he would always 
keep in advance of his pupils in knowledge ; it 
would enable him at all times to appear respect- 
able, and give him additional influence over his 
little charge. The sum required for each teacher 
would be very trifling — about £5. per annum; 
and there can be no doubt but that much greater 
good would be accomplished. Great credit is due 
to many of these devoted individuals, who have 
laboured long and indefatigably among the rising- 
generation. They now exercise much self-denial; 
but a time is coming when " their work shall be 
rewarded." Many to whom they have imparted 
instruction, and for whom they have fervently 
prayed, shall meet them at the right hand of the 
Judge, on the great day of accounts, and own 
them, before an assembled world, as the honoured 
instruments of their salvation. 



165 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Progress of Civilization. — New Modes of Living. — Houses and 
Furniture. — Property. — Letter-writing. — Cultivation of the 
Land. — Mechanical Arts — Blacksmiths — Sawyers — Carpenters 
■ — Wood- turners — Cabinet-makers — Boat-builders — Printers — 
Bookbinders — Weavers — Rope-makers — Sugar-boilers. — Fe- 
male skill. — Dress-makers — Tailoresses — Bonnet-makers, &c. &c. 
— Superior Plat. — Articles for Exportation. — Benefits to Fo- 
reigners. — Life Preserved. — Property Protected.— Abundant 
Supplies for Shipping. — Spiritual Benefits. — Many Foreigners 
Converted. — Much Sin Prevented. — Graceless Mariners. — Be- 
nefits to Commerce. — New Ports Open. — Great Consumption of 
Foreign Articles. — Whale Fisheries. — A Line of Packets. 

None can fully appreciate the advancement which 
has been made in civilization, except such as have 
been acquainted with the actual condition of the 
Polynesians at the time when the first efforts were 
made to enlighten and civilize them. The diffi- 
culties of introducing habits of industry, the arts 
and usages of civilized life, are unknown to those 
who have never seen what heathenism is in its 
most revolting character. The transient visitor 
may see but little to admire, and much to disgust, 
while those who have known the people in their 



166 PROGRESS OF CIVILIZATION. 



former degraded state, and now see them enjoying 
the blessings connected with their present compa- 
ratively elevated condition, can form a right esti- 
mate of the progress already made in civilization, 

The language has been reduced to writing. 
Schools are now in active operation. The Bible 
has been translated, printed, and put into the 
hands of the people. Elementary books, in spel- 
ling, reading, geography, arithmetic, and music, 
are in daily use. Books in the higher branches of 
science have also been prepared, such as geometry, 
surveying, navigation, astronomy, and anatomy. 
Four thousand copies of a semi-monthly paper are 
printed and circulated in the Sandwich Islands 
alone. Codes of laws have been enacted by their 
own legislative bodies, by which the rights of 
private property are secured, crime is punished, 
much evil prevented, and good order established. 
The institution of marriage is universally acknow- 
ledged. The Sabbath is more strictly regarded 
than in many countries where greater privileges 
are enjoyed. Thieving, which has been a prover- 
bial trait in the character of a Polynesian, is but 
of rare occurrence, and, when detected, the per- 



PROGRESS OF CIVILIZATION. 



167 



petrator is quickly brought to justice and pu- 
nished. 

The change effected in the temporal condition 
of these people, since they have been under the 
influence of the gospel, is almost incredible. Were 
it possible for Bougainville, Cook, and others, who 
saw them in their heathen state, to visit them now, 
they would scarcely believe that they were the 
same people. The once naked savage is now 
clothed, and in his right mind. Formerly the 
principal chiefs were satisfied with a little native 
cloth, or a mat round them; and, on particular 
occasions, they would have something similar 
thrown over their shoulders. They may now be 
seen dressed from head to feet in European cloth- 
ing. The females, who used to appear in the most 
indelicate manner, are clad in modest apparel. 
The children, instead of running about naked and 
filthy, are clean, and comfortably clothed. No 
sooner do the heathen make a profession of Chris- 
tianity than a striking change is at once visible in 
their external appearance. On those islands where 
they have opportunities of obtaining European 
articles, parents and children now make a very 



168 



PROGRESS OF CIVILIZATION. 



respectable appearance. Where they have not the 
means of obtaining these, they manufacture arti- 
cles of dress with native materials, so as to make 
a good substitute for foreign clothing. Christian 
friends in England and America would be sur- 
prised and delighted were they to attend some of 
our chapels on the Sabbath day. The stillness, 
order, and attention of the congregations, together 
with the decency with which many of the atten- 
dants are clad, form a striking contrast to the 
sleepy indifference, the vacant stare, and the savage 
ferocity that at first characterised their assemblies. 

Their civilization appears not merely in the ar- 
ticle of dress. A savage may be clothed in the 
best attire, and he will be a savage still ; but let 
the same individual experience the transforming 
influence of the gospel, and that visage, almost 
too terrific to look upon, which was a true index 
of the ferocious disposition and the vile passions 
within, becomes placid and mild, indicative of the 
peace and tranquillity which reign in the heart. 
Those eyes, formerly accustomed to flash with rage, 
now sparkle with benignity. That thundering 
voice, once a terror to all who heard it, now falls 
pleasantly on the ear in accents of love. The 



NEW MODES OF LIVING. 



169 



heart, formerly full of haughty pride and cruel 
revenge, is humble, and filled with the tenderest 
emotions. No longer impelled; by vicious prin- 
ciples, to deeds of violence and blood, he is actu- 
ated by the " golden rule," which teaches us to do 
to others as he would have them to do unto him. 
It may be truly said of these people, that " old 
things have passed away, and all things have be- 
come new." 

As a natural consequence of this great change, 
they adopt new modes of living. Many, who in 
their heathenism, were content to live in dirty 
hovels, have now neat cottages, divided into diffe- 
rent apartments, as the circumstances of the 
family may require. Some of the chiefs have 
very good houses. Queen Pomare^s residence is 
a neat, large, and substantial building. It is 72 
feet long and 40 wide. The front part is divided 
into three large rooms, each having two windows 
and a double door glazed, opening on to a wide 
veranda. The middle one is the drawing-room, 
in which the Queen receives captains of ships of 
war and other persons who call to pay their re- 
spects to Her Majesty, or on official business. 

Having good houses, they are anxious to have 

Q 



170 



NEW MODES OF LIVING. 



them well furnished ; but this cannot be done 
without considerable labour and expense. If they 
would have good clothing in which to appear 
respectable, and well-furnished houses in which 
to live comfortably, considerable exertion is re- 
quired ; hence industry is greatly promoted. 
Numerous artificial wants are created, and the 
people are not satisfied till these wants are sup- 
plied. In place of canoes, they now have good 
boats. Besides many small boats purchased from 
foreigners, they have at the Society Islands alone 
from twenty to thirty large ones, or rather small 
schooners; some of which are over forty tons 
burden, built by themselves. Instead of walking 
they have abundance of saddled-horses, used by 
males and females, and some have their carriages, 
and appear to enjoy a ride as much as many of 
the nobility bowling about in Hyde Park. The 
cattle belonging to the natives are becoming 
numerous, and are a source of great profit. For- 
merly, if important business had to be transacted 
between certain parties living at a distance from 
each other, verbal messages were sent from one 
party to another ; but now they write notes and 
letters just as others in more civilized countries. 



CULTIVATION OF THE LAND. 



171 



TVlien I was in England I received from one of 
the natives a long letter, three sheets folio, beauti- 
fully written, giving me a particular account of 
various things which had transpired during my 
absence. The late King Pomare used to keep a 
daily journal, in which he entered numerous inci- 
dents as they occurred. 

With a view of acquiring property with which 
to obtain those articles which they now consider 
essential to their comfort and respectability, thou- 
sands have been led to* cultivate their lands. 
Large tracts of land formerly covered with brush- 
wood, are now in a state of cultivation. In every 
direction there are enclosures of taro,potatces, plan- 
tains, sugar-cane, and various other things, partly 
for then 1 own consumption, and partly for barter. 

Mr. Pitman, referring to one of the out-stations 
on Rarotonga, says, " In my former visits, it more 
resembled a wilderness; but now attention is 
paid to cultivation; their lands are cleared, various 
things planted, a large stone wall, extending up- 
wards of four miles, (to prevent the incursions of 
the hogs,) is in progress of erection, and comfort- 
able dwelling-houses are being built. Men, 
women, and children, who formerly lived like 



172 INFLUENCE OF THE GOSPEL. 

beasts, are now neatly attired, and cleanly in their 
persons. What, it may be asked, has produced 
this change ? It must be attributed to the intro- 
duction of the gospel of Christ into these dis- 
tricts." In another letter he says, "I am quite 
astonished at the change which has taken place in 
these districts, especially the willingness of most 
of the people to labour. Formerly it was with 
great difficulty that their chiefs could prevail 
upon them to work on their farms for a few days 
together ; but since the introduction of the gos- 
pel in those districts and the formation of this 
little settlement, they have been all most actively 
employed, and show no disposition to neglect the 
cultivation of their land." Mr. Parker, one of 
the missionaries at the Sandwich Islands, refer- 
ring to the effects of the gospel in promoting 
civilization among the natives, says, " It teaches 
them to labour with their hands, and consequently 
provides them with some of the comforts and con- 
veniences of life. Instead of the little hut, eight or 
ten feet square, those who have been brought 
under the influence of the gospel, erect decent 
and comfortable dwellings, and are more cleanly 
and are better clothed. Parents provide for their 



MECHANICAL ARTS. 



173 



children better than formerly. They cheerfully 
labour to supply their children with books, pro- 
vide them with decent clothing, &c." 

Many of the natives are becoming good me- 
chanics. In most civilized countries, each trade 
is divided into a great variety of branches ; one 
man attends to one branch and another to another. 
It is not so in Polynesia. Here one man has to 
work at all the branches. Take the blacksmith 
for instance ; in the morning he will perhaps be 
engaged mending a pair of spectacle-frames, in 
the middle of the day forging rudder-irons for a 
large boat, and in the evening repairing a mus- 
ket, welding a broken fish-spear, or, it may be, 
making a new key for a box-lock. One of the 
two boys, to whom reference has been made in 
the preceding chapter, who were in such immi- 
nent danger of being lost in the boat,, works as a 
blacksmith. I saw a bit which he had made for 
a horse, which required no little ingenuity in one 
who had not been accustomed to that particular 
kind of work : it was a Spanish bit, which is far 
more complicated than the snaffle or curb com- 
monly used in England. For this bit the lad 
got twenty shillings. 



174 



MECHANICAL ARTS. 



Many get a respectable living as sawyers. Some 
hire themselves and work for daily wages ; others 
saw their own trees and sell the planks, &c, as in 
timber yards in other countries. They square 
their large logs and line them on both sides with 
precision, so as to turn out good boards. The 
planks for weather boarding they saw with a 
feather edge, and thereby get more planks out of 
the tree. 

Not a few are daily employed as carpenters; 
building houses, making doors, blinds, boxes, 
sugar-mills, and various other useful articles. 
They use the adze with great dexterity. I have 
seen them adze a piece of wood almost as flat and 
smooth as though it had been planed. 

Some have learned to turn chair and sofa legs, 
bed-posts, rollers for sugar-mills, &c. &c. 

Others are labouring as cabinet-makers. There 
is an abundance of excellent wood of various kinds 
with which they make tables, sideboards, cup- 
boards, book-cases, chairs, sofas, &c. A great part 
of my own furniture has been made by these 
native artizans. 

Most of their large boats are their own work- 
manship. Having decided upon the length of 



MECHANICAL ARTS. 



175 



the keel and the breadth of the beam, they set up 
the frame without any draft to work from, guided 
simply by the eye, and yet they get them astonish- 
ingly correct, and, in some instances, the model is 
exceedingly good. They plank them, deck them, 
do their own iron-work, make their cordage, put 
in the masts, and set up the rigging. Formerly 
they made mat sails, but now they purchase can- 
vass for that purpose. Having finished and 
launched them, they no longer steer by the posi- 
tion of the sun through the day and by the stars 
at night, but by the compass. Some of these 
little vessels would not disgrace the flag of more 
civilized nations. 

The Press, that mighty engine, by which civili- 
zation is so greatly promoted, is at work on many 
of the islands in the Pacific. At first the mission- 
aries had to work the press themselves, but now 
they have only to superintend it. Many of the 
natives have become very useful in this depart- 
ment of labour. Natives employed as printers 
may be found on the Georgian and Society 
Islands, Karotonga, the Navigators, the Friendly 
Islands, and the Sandwich Islands. On the last 
mentioned group, some have become tolerably 



176 



MECHANICAL ARTS, 



proficient in this art, and are employed daily, to 
work a certain number of hours each day for 
regular wages, similar to journeymen printers in 
England or America. At the Sandwich Islands 
alone during the year 1836, 12,750,179 pages 
were printed. In 1837, 9,380,432 pages, and in 
1838, 17,746,650 pages. 




PRINTING- OFFICE. 



Other natives are employed in binding the 
books which are thus printed. Their work is 
generally neat and strong, but of course not so 
highly finished as by first-rate workmen of that 
trade in England. Not only do the various works 
issuing from the presses in Polynesia promote civi- 
lization by communicating knowledge to the 
ignorant, but in preparing these works, the same 



MECHANICAL ARTS. 



177 



great object is accomplished, by furnishing em- 
ployment for those who are disposed to labour. 

On some of the islands the natives have been 
taught to manufacture cotton cloth. The cotton 
here is of an excellent quality, and might be culti- 
vated to almost any extent. One of the principal 
chiefs at the Sandwich Islands has erected a large 
stone building for a cotton-manufactory, and has 
commenced operations. He employed a foreigner 
to make a spinning-wheel as a sample, from which 
his own people made about twenty more, very 
little, if at all inferior. The heads and cards were 
imported from America. The efforts made by 
this chief have not been without success. A con- 
siderable number of females have made good pro- 
ficiency in the art of spinning, and four young 
men have learned to weave. It is exceedingly 
interesting to see the native girls busy at the 
spinning-wheel and young men at work at the 
loom. If they will but persevere, in a short time, 
multitudes of the Polynesians may be clothed with 
the products of their own industry. 

Rope-making is another trade which many of 
them have learnt. It has, for some years past, 
been a very profitable business to those who have 
entered into it with spirit, there being a constant 



178 



FEMALE SKILL. 



demand for this article on board the many whale 
ships and trading vessels calling at the various 
islands. 

Another employment in which some of them 
are engaged is sugar-boiling. The sugar-cane 
grows luxuriantly, and is now extensively cultiva- 
ted. Men, women, and children, are employed 
in the enclosures, weeding and hoeing up the 
cane. A few of the natives have become tolerably 
proficient in the art of boiling, which requires no 
little judgment even in foreigners who have been 
brought up to the trade. 

Multitudes, who have not learnt any particular 
trade, are busily engaged in various ways, making 
fishing-nets, canoes, cocoa-nut oil, arrow-root, &c. 

The females are making equally rapid advances 
in the arts of civilized life. We have dress-makers, 
tailoresses, bonnet-makers, &c. &c. The mission- 
aries at the Sandwich Islands say, "Hats and 
bonnets are manufactured by native females at 
all our stations, with considerable skill and taste ; 
some of which would admit of no mean compa- 
rison with those of more enlightened countries, 
especially when viewed at a little distance." 

When I visited England, I took with me speci- 



FEMALE SKILL. 



179 



mens of the plat made by the Tahitian females, 
some of which was acknowledged, by good judges, 
to be superior to any that had been seen in Great 
Britain. It is made from the stem of the arrow- 
root and the leaf of the sugar-cane. It is beauti- 
fully white, smooth and bright, not much unlike 
narrow satin ribbon, and so remarkably light as 
to make it peculiarly suitable for the summer 
season. As a proof of its excellent quality, a 
house in Scotland has engaged to take all that 
the Polynesians will manufacture, with a view of 
supplying the ladies throughout Great Britain. 

It may be seen from the foregoing statements 
that a great amount of labour is daily performed 
by these islanders. It is an indisputable fact, 
that, with but few exceptions, the natives are 
indebted to the missionaries for the knowledge 
they possess of the mechanical arts. Their pri- 
mary object has been to publish to the people 
" the -glorious gospel of the blessed God," but 
they have not been unmindful of other important 
duties which may be considered as subsidiary to 
the grand object. They have endeavoured by all 
possible means to improve the temporal condition 
of those among whom they labour. They have 



180 BENEFITS TO FOREIGNERS. 



shown, both by precept and example, that pure 
religion promotes industry and civilization in all 
its forms. 

The articles on these islands for exportation 
are the following : sugar, coffee, arrow-root, cocoa- 
nut oil, paint oil, cordage, plat for hats and 
bonnets, salt provisions, preserved fruits, various 
kinds of wood for furniture, sandal-wood, raw 
cotton, indigo, pearls and pearl shells. 

Numerous benefits accrue to foreigners, by the 
change which the gospel has effected in Poly- 
nesia. The temporal benefits are not few nor 
unimportant. Many valuable lives have been 
preserved. "The dark places of the earth are 
full of the habitations of cruelty." It may be 
justly said of the heathen, that " their feet are 
swift to shed blood." 

A few years ago, the Charles Eaton, a mer- 
chant ship, on her voyage from Canton to Calcutta, 
was wrecked on a detached reef in Torres Straits, 
between New Holland and New Guinea. The 
shipwrecked people, including the captain, his 
wife and children, with a number of passengers, 
landed by rafts on an island in the Straits, and 
all of them, with the exception of four boys, 



BENEFITS TO FOREIGNERS. 



181 



amongst whom was the youngest son of the captain, 
and five of the crew who escaped to Timor, were 
cruelly massacred by the barbarous natives. What 
a different reception they would have had if that 
island had been blessed with the gospel of peace. 
" Instead of being met, as they landed, with the 
murderous club, they would have been welcomed 
and cheered by sympathy and succour; instead 
of a grave they would have found a home, as 
comfort-able as the resources of the island could 
make it ; instead of their countrymen being sent 
to search for their mangled bodies and unburied 
bones, the natives would have worked to assist 
them in providing means of returning to their 
friends, even though such efforts should have met 
with no other compensation than forgetfulness. ;; 
Similar deeds of murder have been perpetrated 
on many of the islands, but where they have been 
favoured with Christian instruction they have 
learned to behave kindly to foreigners in distress, 
and to mitigate the calamity of shipwreck. In 
many instances they have proved themselves to 
be the true friends of humanity, and have merited 
the esteem and gratitude of the benevolent in 
every part of the world. Had the Sandwich 

R 



182 BENEFITS TO FOREIGNERS. 

Islanders been as they now are, would the brave, 
enterprising, and scientific Captain Cook have 
fallen a sacrifice to their cruelty on Hawaii? 
Had the Samoans been under the influence of 
gospel principles, would M. De Langle, the com- 
panion of La Perouse, and eleven of his crew, 
have been barbarously murdered at Tutuila ? 

There are but few islands among those yet in a 
heathen state, where ships dare venture to anchor, 
or even to send a boat on shore. When foreigners 
do attempt to have intercourse with them, it is 
always at the risk of life. They are not safe one 
moment. The very time when the natives appear 
most friendly, is the time to suspect them. They 
feign great friendship to get the foreigners off 
their guard, that they may with the greater ease 
carry out their designs of plunder and death. But 
on those islands where they have received the 
gospel, ships may go with perfect safety. If a 
captain is recommended to go to some island with 
which he is not acquainted, the first question that 
he usually asks is, "Are there any missionaries 
there?" If he is informed that missionaries are 
there, he will go with the greatest confidence. 
The following is an extract from a letter writter by 



PROPERTY PROTECTED. 



183 



a Sweedish gentleman who has made several voy- 
ages in the Pacific. "In my former voyage, I 
touched at one of the. Navigator's Islands, but I 
found the people so fierce and hostile that I feared 
to land, and was glad to make all sail from their 
shores. In the second instance the same people 
received me with affection, traded with me fairly, 
and I felt my person and property secure in their 
hands. In the interval your missionaries had 
settled here, and to their influence I was indebted 
both for my safety and success/'' 

The property of foreigners is protected. When 
the ship Falcon, an American whaler, was wrecked 
on Rurutu, an island about three hundred miles 
south of Tahiti, the natives not only treated kindly 
the captain and all his crew, but cheerfully ren- 
dered all the assistance in their power in saving 
as much as possible of the wreck. The captain 
has declared that not a single article of clothing 
was taken from any man belonging to the ship, 
though they had it in their power to plunder them 
of every thing that was landed. 

A little before I visited Rarotonga, an American 
trading brig had been wrecked on the reef. By 
the prompt assistance of the natives, who are 



184 ABUNDANT SUPPLIES FOR SHIPS. 

remarkably expert in the water, many things 
belonging to the wreck were saved. These things 
remained in the charge of the natives many 
months. The captain told the missionaries that 
he had not missed so much as a bit of rope, or an 
old nail. Had these two vessels been wrecked on 
some parts of the British coast, it is a question if 
so favourable a report could have been given of 
the honesty of the persons into whose hands these 
wrecks would have fallen. 

Another very considerable advantage to foreign- 
ers is the great facility with which ships may now 
obtain supplies. There is an immense number of 
English and American whalers daily traversing the 
Great Pacific. These voyages are usually very 
long, frequently from three to four years, conse- 
quently it is of the highest importance that they 
should have the means of occasionally obtaining 
fresh provisions. Since the gospel has been 
introduced to so many islands, these means of 
obtaining supplies are afforded ; the health of the 
seamen is thereby preserved and much time saved. 
Whether in the northern or southern hemisphere, 
they may, without leaving the whaling ground, 
put into some of the harbours where they can be 



SPIRITUAL BENEFITS, 



185 



furnished with fresh beef, pork, fowls and fish, 
potatoes, yams and other vegetables, with an 
abundance of fruits. In addition to what they 
consume while in port, they can obtain a good 
supply of live stock, vegetables and fruits, for their 
use at sea ; and most of these things may be pro- 
cured at a much lower rate than in many other 
parts of the world. At most of the islands a good 
supply of excellent water may be procured free of 
expense, and an abundance of fire-wood at a very 
moderate price. 

In addition to these temporal advantages arising 
from the change effected in Polynesia, there are 
spiritual benefits which foreigners may enjoy. 
While the ships are in port, the crews have oppor- 
tunities of attending the means of grace. The 
missionaries not only cheerfully supply them with 
tracts, Bibles, and other good books that may be 
useful to them when at sea, but are always happy 
to preach to them either on board their ships or 
on shore. At Tahiti and the Sandwich Islands, 
chapels have been erected, with libraries attached, 
for the use of foreigners. On the Sabbath the 
Bethel Flag is flying over these chapels, inviting 
captains and men on board the various vessels in 



186 



FOREIGNERS CONVERTED. 



port, together with the foreigners residing on 
shore, to repair to the house of God and enjoy the 
privileges of the gospel. By these means manv a 
prodigal son has been brought to his right mind 
and turned from the error of his ways. I am 
acquainted with a few instances in which back- 
sliders have been reclaimed and the vilest charac- 
ters have been converted to God. One of these 
is now a very acceptable, faithful, and successful 
missionary on one of these islands. Some who 
neglected the great salvation while in their native 
countrv, and went to sea with their hearts full of 

d * 

enmity against God, have returned, consistent and 
devoted Christians. 

Pious captains and seamen, who, on these 
voyages, are in a great measure deprived of the 
public means of grace, find these opportunities 
very refreshing. 

In many instances foreigners are prevented 
from indulging in sinful practices. " Some time 
ago a few young men, from a ship at anchor in 
the harbour of Leone, went on shore to one of the 
villages, avowedly for bad purposes. They went 
into one house and found the inmates singing the 



PIOUS EXAMPLE OF THE NATIVES. 187 



praises of God : they went to a second, and the 
family were employed in reading the word of 
God ; and to a third, and they were kneeling at a 
throne of grace, presenting their grateful homage 
to the Father of Mercies. This was more than 
the young men could outbrave ; and constrained 
by feelings more easily conceived than described, 
they joined with the poor Samoans in their devo- 
tions, and afterwards returned on board their 
ship, and confessed that they had been completely 
defeated." 

Very salutary impressions have frequently been 
produced upon the minds of foreigners by the 
pious example of the native converts. I was on 
one occasion dining on board an English ship of 
war with Queen Pornare, other members of the 
royal family, and several chiefs. A large table 
was prepared on the quarter-deck. All being 
seated, the plates were soon abundantly supplied, 
but not one of the natives attempted to eat. The 
captain was greatly surprised at this, and said to 
me, "Mr. Pritchard, I fear we have not provided 
such food as the natives like; I don't see one of 
them begin to eat." I replied, "You could not 



188 



GRACELESS MARINERS. 



have provided anything that the natives would 
like better ; the reason why they do not com- 
mence eating is simply this, they are accustomed 
always to ask a blessing." Before I could say 
anything niore, the captain, evidently feeling a 
little confused, said, " I beg your pardon, Mr. 
Pritchard, please to say grace." I immediately 
"said grace" when the natives soon gave proof 
that they liked the food which had been provided. 
One of the officers from the other end of the table 
looked at the captain very significantly, and said, 
" We have got it to-day ! 93 and then addressing 
himself to me, said, " Mr. Pritchard, you see what 
a graceless set we are." All the gentlemen seemed 
to feel the rebuke thus unintentionally given. 

I have been informed that a certain British 
officer in Her Majesty's navy, who for years took 
an active part in many of the benevolent societies 
in London, received his first serious impressions 
from a circumstance similar to the one stated 
above. While he was captain of a ship of war, 
he visited Polynesia. Having invited some of 
the natives on board to dine, he was much struck 
in perceiving that they would not eat till they 



BENEFITS OF COMMERCE. 



189 



had asked a blessing on the food of which they 
were about to partake. It is said, that this led 
that gentleman to serious reflection and anxious 
inquiry, which afterwards terminated in the for- 
mation of that noble character, which made him a 
blessing to all around him. 

Commerce generally is greatly benefited by 
the present state of things in Polynesia. New 
ports are open where merchants may carry on 
their mercantile speculations with advantage. 
There is now on these islands a great consump- 
tion of foreign articles, especially of such as are 
manufactured at Manchester and Sheffield. 

In the port of Papeete, at Tahiti, there are 
goods sold annually to the amount of full thirty 
thousand dollars (£6000.) This is a mere trifle 
compared with the extent of commerce carried on 
at the Sandwich Islands, Many of the natives 
are now trading to a considerable extent. Some 
of them purchase foreign articles and carry them 
to those villages which are not visited by ship- 
ping, and retail them at a good percentage on the 
cost price. Others prepare large quantities of 
cocoa-nut oil, arrow-root, sugar, &c, that they 



190 



WHALE FISHERIES. 



may have something with which to barter when 
an opportunity offers. Some of the missionaries' 
sons are now setting up as merchants, and are 
endeavouring, by all possible means, widely to 
extend commerce in every direction. 

When we consider the number of islands now 
evangelized, and the rapid progress of civilization, 
it is easy to see that the demand for foreign goods 
must be daily increasing. Hence, merchants 
sending their ships to these islands, will not 
only be able to dispose of their articles of 
trade, but will at the same time procure return 
cargoes. 

Whale-fisheries might be established with great 
advantage on some of the islands. The ships 
would be no sooner out of the harbours than they 
would be on whaling ground. While standing at 
my own door, I have seen them killing and cutting 
in whales just outside the reef. 

It is thought that the time is not far distant 
when a line of packets will be established to run 
across the Pacific. Persons and property might 
quickly be conveyed to New South Wales, to India 
and China. Supposing steam-packets to run from 



A LINE OF PACKETS. 



191 



England and America to the Gulf of Mexico, and 
a railroad across the Isthmus of Darian ; then one 
line of packets from Panama to New South Wales, 
calling at Tahiti and New Zealand, and another 
line from Panama to China, touching at the Mar- 
quesas and the Sandwich Islands. 



192 



CHAPTER IX. 

CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

Christianity and Civilization inseparable. — Encouragements to 
persevere in Missionary Labours. — More Agents required. — 
The Young invited. — Students preparing for the Ministry at 
home. Young Men in the Medical Profession. — Settled 
Ministers. — Greater Liberality essential. — More fervent Prayer 
for the out-pouring of the Spirit upon Missionary Labours. — 
Personal Religion. 

From the preceding pages, it is evident that a 
most delightful change has been effected in Poly- 
nesia. We are at no loss to conceive how this 
change has been produced. It has not been by 
philosophical reasoning, nor by any civilizing pro- 
cess, but by the "Glorious Gospel of the blessed 
God," preached with simplicity and fidelity by the 
servants of the Most High. 

Where in the page of history, can we find a 
single instance of Philosophy winning souls to 
Christ ? What has Civilization effected ? She has 
tried her skill at the Sandwich Islands and New 



CHRISTIANITY AND CIVILIZATION. 193 

Zealand. Was there, at either of these places, an 
individual converted to God prior to the reception 
of the Gospel ? Oh no : it is the gospel which 
proves the power of God unto salvation. Had the 
missionaries spent their time in metaphysical dis- 
quisitions on the being of God, or in lecturing on 
moral duties, the savages on the Southern Isles 
would still have been in heathen blindness, bowing 
down to blocks of wood and stone. It was when 
expatiating on the boundless love of God in giv- 
ing his dearly beloved Son for then redemption, 
that their hearts were affected. The belief " that 
God so loved the world, that he gave his only- 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life," led 
them at once to lay down their weapons of rebel- 
lion against Him, and cast their idols to the 
moles and to the bats. It was a sense of the 
love of Christ in dying for their redemption, 
which constrained them to forsake their altars 
stained with human blood, and led them to Cal- 
vary, trusting on that precious blood which 
cleanseth from all sin. Only let the heathen feel 
the transforming influence of the gospel, and a 
civilizing process at once commences, Christianity 

s 



194 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO PERSEVERE. 



and Civilization are twin sisters : they usually go 
hand in hand : or if there be any precedency, 
Christianity takes the lead, and Civilization follows 
in her train. 

It is no longer a question whether the mission- 
ary enterprise will succeed. The experiment has 
been tried. The measure of success, which God 
has granted to his servants in heathen lands, is 
more than commensurate with the exertions 
which have been made. What encouragement, 
then, to persevere in this work of faith and 
labour of love ! This encouragement arises not 
merely from past success, but also from future 
prospects. " I have sw r orn by myself," saith 
Jehovah, " the word is gone out of my mouth 
in righteousness, and shall not return. That 
unto me every knee shall bow, and every tongue 
shall swear." (Isa. xlv. 23.) " The glory of the 
Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see 
it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath 
spoken it." Rather would Jehovah cause the 
heavens and the earth to pass away than suffer 
one jot or tittle of what he has promised, to fail 
in its accomplishment. Possessing all power, he 
can bless the labours of his servants to any extent 



ENCOURAGEMENTS TO PERSEVERE. 195 

and under any circumstances. The economy of 
Redemption secures the future success of mission- 
aries. Jesus shall see " of the travail of his soul 
and be satisfied."" As the effect of his mediatorial 
work, he shall have the heathen for his inheri- 
tance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for 
his possession ; he shall see multitudes coming 
from the East and the West, from the North and 
the South, and sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. He shall 
see around his throne a multitude which no man 
can number, of all nations, kindreds, people, and 
tongues. 

If, then, future success is certain, it should 
stimulate us to increased exertion. The Chris- 
tian church must awake to a sense of her duty, 
and as though refreshed with the slumber of 
ages, put forth more energies for the conversion 
of the world. Souls are perishing ! Reader, 
while your eye is glancing over each page of this 
little volume, the heathen are sinking to eternal 
perdition ; and as they enter the regions of de- 
spair, they say one to another, "No man cared 
for my soul!" Were the lost spirits in the 
bottomless pit permitted to send a petition to 



196 MORE AGENTS REQUIRED. 

this land of gospel light and privilege, it would 
be to beseech us, without delay, to send the 
gospel to their relatives, still in heathen darkness, 
lest they also go into that place of torment. 
They are at a loss to conceive how we could be 
acquainted with the danger to which they were 
exposed, by their ignorance of the true God, by 
their superstitious ceremonies, and their cruel 
practices, and yet make such feeble efforts to 
warn them of impending destruction, and to lead 
them to Jesus the Saviour of the world. 

There must be more men, more money, and 
more prayer. If suitable agents can be obtained, 
they must be employed. Were we to enumerate 
all the missionaries employed by the Protestant 
societies in Europe and America, there would be 
more than half a million of the heathen to one 
missionary. Unless more agents are employed, 
it will take thousands of years to convert the 
heathen. Let the young be invited to come to 
the help of the Lord against the mighty. The 
most useful missionaries have generally been 
those who have devoted themselves to this work 
in their youth. Ye mothers in Israel ! at an 
early period, infuse into the minds of your little 



THE YOUNG INVITED. 



197 



ones a missionary spirit, that it may " grow with 
their growth, and strengthen with their strength." 
Watch the bent of their inclinations ; and should 
any of them manifest a desire to engage in the 
work, check not that desire ; encourage it. Like 
Hannah, cheerfully offer them to the Lord, to be 
employed in his service. It will be an acceptable 
sacrifice, with which the God of missions will be 
well pleased. Are there not in some of the 
British churches young persons whose fervent 
piety and superior talents eminently qualify them 
for missionary labour ? Put no obstacles in their 
way, but rather encourage them to go forth in 
this glorious work. Others will be found to sup- 
ply their lack of service at home. I would say 
to all my young friends who are anxious to go as 
ambassadors to the heathen — cherish the desire ; 
commit your way unto the Lord, beseeching him 
to direct your steps. The powers and faculties of 
your mind are now lively and vigorous, and fit you, 
in an eminent degree, for active service. You are 
also more like to become skilful workmen. You will 
not only be better qualified for this work, but, 
according to the course of nature, you will have 
a longer time to labour, and consequently a pro- 



198 



THE YOUNG INVITED. 



bability of greater usefulness. If you are anxious 
to be pre-eminently useful in promoting the cause 
of the Redeemer, engage in this work without 
delay. The God that made you invites you to 
become fellow-workers with him in conveying the 
blessings of salvation to a perishing world, and 
promises that he will never leave you, no, never 
forsake you. The Saviour, who redeemed you, 
points you to his Cross, and inquires, who among 
his young disciples is willing to go and tell of 
a Saviour's love. The Holy Spirit, that sanc- 
tified you, is waiting your decision, that he may 
richly endow you with all those gifts and graces 
which will eminently qualify you for the work, 
and that he may shower down his sacred influ- 
ences upon your labours, and thus crown your 
efforts with success. Oh ! let it not be said, that 
the heathen are going in crowds to hell, because 
persons cannot be found willing to show them the 
way to heaven. 

Plead not as an excuse, that you are already 
doing what you can, that you are actively engaged 
in the Sabbath-school, you are employed in dis- 
tributing tracts, you visit the sick, subscribe 
liberally to benevolent institutions — that you are 



THE YOUNG INVITED. 



199 



collecting for the Missionary Society, and uniting 
with other young persons in praying for the 
extension of Christ's kingdom. These things 
are just so many reasons why you should, at 
once, consecrate your services to the Lord in 
heathen lands. You are the very individuals 
whose aid is required — persons accustomed to 
labour. The most diligent and useful mission- 
aries abroad are those who have been most ac- 
tively engaged in the cause of Christ at home. 

Think not the sacrifice required of you too 
great. There is scarcely a ship sails for India 
without having on board too or three young 
gentlemen going out as cadets. They willingly 
leave father and mother, brothers and sisters, 
friends and country, to serve the British govern- 
ment in that far distant land. Can it be supposed 
that you are less willing to make a similar sacrifice 
to engage in His service who is the sovereign of 
heaven and earth ? a service ten thousand times 
more honourable than that of earthly princes. 

Students preparing for the ministry at home ; — 
your services are more needed in the field of 
missions. Of course you are of an opinoin that 
the prospects of usefulness in Britain are greater 



200 



THE YOUNG INVITED, 



than in a foreign country; that is to say, the 
future propagation of the gospel at home is more 
important than its introduction to foreign lands ; 
the claims of hundreds of millions, in the dark- 
ness of heathenism, are less than the claims of 
professing Christians in a civilized country. Allow 
me, my friends, to recommend a reconsideration 
of the subject. Lay before you a map of the 
world; measure the length and the breadth of 
that field in which your services are needed; 
compare it with that little spot which you have 
marked out as the scene of your future labours, 
and calculate the relative numbers of agents in 
both. In the one you will see the missionaries 
as so many specks of light, "few and far be- 
tween/' faintly glimmering in the broad canopy 
of heathen darkness ; while in the other, you will 
see a host of ministers stationed so near to each 
other, as to unite their effulgence like the stars 
in the galaxy. You may, after all, have a pre- 
dilection for the ministry at home, but you will 
not find, on British ground, more pearls of great 
price for the Redeemer's crown, than can be 
found on the Polynesian Isles, on Greenland's icy 
mountains, or on India's coral strand. 



THE YOUNG INVITED. 



201 



Do not satisfy yourselves with, the narrow 
limits which usually circumscribe the labours of 
ministers at home. Take the world for your 
field. "Aim at great things, and expect great 
things." Be not dismayed at the difficulties of 
a missionary life. The Master whom you serve 
declares that his grace is sufficient for you. 
With the moral courage of an apostle say, " None 
of these things move me, neither count I my life 
dear to myself." I am not only willing, but 
anxious to go far hence among the gentiles and 
preach the unsearchable riches of Christ to such 
as are perishing for lack of knowledge. 

Pious young men in the medical profession ; — it 
is in your power to do much both for the 
temporal and spiritual benefit of your fellow men. 
Disease, the fruit of sin, is depopulating the 
heathen world. The benevolent, sympathizing, 
and compassionate spirit of Jesus led him to 
relieve the temporal sufferings of mem while his 
great aim was to secure their eternal salvation. 
Throw your professional skill at the feet of the 
Saviour, and cheerfully use it when and where he 
shall direct. If you consecrate your services to 
the Lord, you may not only stay the tide of 



202 



THE YOUNG INVITED. 



desolation which is sweeping away the bodies 
of the heathen, but you will have numerous and 
favourable opportunities of benefiting their souls. 
Be not influenced by the prospect of an extensive 
practice at home, and the probability of rapidly 
accumulating an independent fortune. You may 
have a far more extensive practice abroad ; and if 
God favour you with the riches of his grace, you 
need care but little about the wealth of this 
world. 

To settled ministers at home, I would say, that 
an army composed of striplings and young 
recruits is not competent to face a formidable 
enemy. There should also be men of experience, 
of sound judgment, of superior talents, and 
established character. It is a mistaken idea 
that any persons, professing piety and a disposi- 
tion to do good, will do for missionaries. Are 
such persons qualified to reduce a barbarous 
language to a written form? or are they likely 
to cope with those subtle enemies with whom 
they may have to contend? Are such persons 
best qualified to transform hordes of savages into 
intelligent and christian nations? Select the 
man, who, by his popular preaching talents, can 



THE YOUNG INVITED. 



203 



hold a multitude in breathless silence while they 
listen to the truths of the gospel, who has special 
qualifications for writing-books for children and 
youth, and for communicating instruction in 
schools; he is the very man whose sendees are 
most needed in the missionary field. Let not 
such an individual view these qualifications as an 
indication that it is his duty to remain at home ; 
rather let him view them as a special call to 
devote his best energies to the salvation of the 
heathen. Be assured, the better missionaries are 
qualified for their work, the more likely they are 
to be extensively useful. 

In reference to ministers generally, many things 
must be taken into consideration before they 
contemplate a removal. Perhaps the cases would 
be rather rare in which it would be the duty of 
those who are much past the meridian of life to 
give up their present charge to go as missionaries 
to the heathen. It is questionable whether they 
would become very proficient in a foreign lan- 
guage, or whether their health would not suffer 
materially from a change of climate. Some trees 
are said to be more healthy and bear fruit more 
abundantly by being removed into another soil ; 



204 



THE YOUNG INVITED. 



but it is necessary they should be transplanted 
before the roots have struck deep in the earth. 

My younger brethren in the ministry ; you do 
not yet resemble the venerable oak in the forest, 
or to attempt your removal would be hopeless. 
You have not yet taken such deep root in the 
sacred enclosure as to render it impracticable to 
transplant some of you into a foreign soil, where, 
watered by showers of heavenly grace, and warmed 
by the Sun of Righteousness, you would bring forth 
much fruit. The question now proposed for your 
consideration is of prodigious importance. Be 
not hasty in putting a negative upon it ; examine 
it in all its bearings. The heathen, with im- 
ploring looks and outstretched hands, are crying 
to you, " Come over and help us." Missionaries 
in the field of labour, many of whom are literally 
sinking into a premature grave for the want of 
assistance, are calling to you, enquiring, " Who 
among you is willing to consecrate his services to 
the Lord in heathen lands." 

In proportion as the agents are multiplied, our 
liberality must abound. There must be an alter- 
ation either in our prayers, or our subscriptions. 
We are daily praying that God would grant 



GREATER LIBERALITY ESSENTIAL 205 

greater success to the missionary cause, that his 
kingdom may come, and his will be done on earth 
as it is in heaven. Can these petitions be sincere, 
if instead of giving cheerfully to the extent of our 
ability, we are coolly calculating how small a sum 
will satisfy the conscience and appear respectable 
in the list of subscribers ? God has already 
granted more success than we are prepared to 
receive. It is this success which has so embar- 
rassed the Missionary Society, because the libe- 
rality of the public has not increased in proportion 
to the claims of the heathen, and the opportunities 
afforded for labouring among them. Whatever 
may be the relative sums subscribed, our liberality 
is far short of what it ought to be, if we give 
merely what we can spare without sensibly feel- 
ing it. We must learn to make sacrifices for the 
cause of Christ. Not simply part with the luxu- 
ries of life, but cheerfully give up certain comforts 
that we may do more for the propagation of the 
gospel, both at home and abroad. " Ye know 
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he 
was rich, for your sakes he became poor, that ye 
through his poverty might be made rich." The 
Saviour gave not the wealth of this world, but 

T 



206 ZEAL OF THE HEATHEN. 



freely offered up himself a sacrifice for us. May 
the love of Christ constrain us, henceforth not to 
live unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us 
and rose again. The zeal and liberality of some 
of the heathen ought to make many professing 
Christians blush. The Rev. W. Buyers, of Be- 
nares, informs us that he is acquainted with an 
Indian Chief who gave in one day, for the sup- 
port of heathenism, the sum of £.20,000.. and 
with another person who furnished £300,000. for 
building a heathen temple. Oh that wealthy 
Christians would as freely part with their money 
for the support of a better cause ! 

Reader, pause for a moment, and ask yourself, 
What you have done — what you are doing — and 
what you intend to do for the conversion of the 
heathen. Five or six hundred millions of souls 
are perishing in ignorance. Almost as fast as the 
clock ticks, one of the heathen passes out of time 
into eternity. In the course of a year, between 
twenty and thirty millions are dying the second 
death, because Christians, insensible of their duty, 
do not impart to them the means of spiritual life. 
Are your efforts such as will perfectly satisfy you 
when lying upon your dying pillow with the re- 



PRAYER FOR MISSIONARY SUCCESS. 207 

alities of eternity in full view ? When standing at 
the judgment-seat of Christ, you behold myriads 
of the heathen trembling at the left hand of the 
J udge, waiting to hear their final doom, and be 
consigned to blackness and darkness for ever, 
will not conscience suggest to you, that had it 
not been for the covetousness of professing Chris- 
tians many of those poor heathen might have 
been at the right hand of the Judge and wel- 
comed into the joy of their Lord ? Will you not 
then regret, that while on earth, you parted with 
so small a portion of your property for the con- 
version of the heathen ? Be not anxious to die 
rich; rather enjoy the luxury of doing good 
through life, that multitudes may be benefited by 
your liberality. 

If we would see a larger measure of success 
attending the labours of missionaries, there must 
be more earnest, believing prayer. If each mis- 
sionary possessed the eloquence of an archangel, 
and the zeal of an apostle, all would labour in 
vain if the influences of the Holy Spirit be with- 
held. Knowing, then, that it is not by might, nor 
by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord, that our 
labours prove effectual in accomplishing the object 



208 



PERSONAL RELIGION. 



desired, let us give God no rest, " until the Spirit 
be poured out from on high." By unceasing and 
fervent prayer, we can engage the arm of Om- 
nipotence to assist us in the great work of evan- 
gelizing the heathen; and if we are favoured 
with divine assistance, success will be certain. 

Reader ! in perusing this little volume, you 
have doubtless admired the delightful change 
which the gospel has produced in the hearts and 
lives of the poor heathen. Has the gospel effected 
in you that change which is essential to your sal- 
vation ? You have, perhaps, assisted in sending 
the blessings of eternal life to distant nations ; 
but have you any part or lot in these blessings 
yourself? Your zeal in the cause of Christ will 
not serve you as a substitute for personal piety. 
Doubtless many assisted in building the ark who 
afterwards perished in the Deluge. " In the last 
great day, many will say, Lord, Lord, have we not 
prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name done 
many wonderful works V to whom the Lord will 
say, " I never knew you" Give all diligence to 
secure an interest in that salvation in which 
thousands of the heathen are now participating. 
Adopt the language of the Psalmist as your own ; 



PERSONAL RELIGION. 



209 



" Create in me a clean heart, God ; and renew 
a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from 
thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from 
me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ; 
and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I 
teach transgressors thy w T ays ; and sinners shall 
be converted unto thee." Personal piety is essen- 
tial to extensive usefulness. If, then, you wish 
to turn many unto righteousness, and be instru- 
mental in saving souls from death, devote yourself 
unreservedly to God. You may then reasonably 
expect the divine blessing to rest upon your ex- 
ertions, and, with delight, anticipate the period 
when you will meet around the throne of God 
multitudes of converted heathen, and unite with 
them in celebrating the praises of redeeming 
love. 



LONDON : 

PRINTED BY W. B LAN CHARD AND SONS, 

Warwick Lane, St. Paul's. 



